The Heart's Memories
by skywolf666
Summary: Yeah I know, another AU, lol. Murrue is pregnant at the end of the first war, Mu is presumed dead in Jachin Due. What happens when he returns nearly two years later, with no memory of anything but his name? M for the usual stuff, lmao. ME NO OWN GS!
1. Prologue

A pin could have dropped in that small hospital room and sounded more like an earthquake than anything else. All eyes had turned to the brunette who was sitting on the edge of the small cot, she looked as though she'd stopped breathing. No one knew what to say.

Finally the redheaded woman standing in the corner of the room spoke first, voice tight with concern, voice barely a whisper, "Murrue...?"

No answer.

Erica didn't want the brunette out of her sight for even a spare second, but she looked over at the amethyst-eyed boy who had been called earlier due to the emergency of the meeting. He looked as shocked as the first brunette did, his normally forced stone eyes wide with surprise. Almost magnetically her gaze was drawn back to Murrue.

If the others were shocked, it was nothing compared to how the marigold eyed woman was feeling. She was silent, something strange to the others, they expected a loud denial, a crazed emotional outburst, but there was nothing but an odd silence. Finally, she spoke, voice low, barely a whisper, "Please... I need to be alone for a few minutes."

There was another long tense silence, no one moved. The doctor had already left, it was just the woman and the younger boy, neither seemed certain. The boy left first, not speaking to the brunette woman, though his worried gaze never left her as he walked out.

Erica was another matter, she didn't seem to want to leave, her eyes focussed hard on the brunette who was avoiding her gaze. She said firmly, glancing at the door for a moment, "I'll be right outside. Don't you dare hesitate to yell if you need me."

"I know." The reply was tired, as though she'd aged twenty years in the past two minutes. Erica slowly left, the door closed behind her with a muffled thud that echoed in the deathly silence.

The silence was deafening, and what was the most strange thing was the lack of serious emotion. She felt shock, yes, but at the same time, she really had no idea how to react properly to the news. She was confused at her own lack of reaction, it puzzled her to no end how she could just sit there motionless. 'Part of me wants to cry, cry so hard my throat will hurt. Part of me is so happy I could just burst into song or something. And shock... I'm so so shocked...'

Her hands found her soft flat stomach, wondering how long it would take before it would harden and swell. 'I wonder if the baby will look like him...' She felt the sting of tears burning in her throat, coupled with the odd want to smile. 'Funny I only found out because I haven't been eating and passed out at work, Erica was furious... I might have never known until it was so blatantly obvious only an idiot wouldn't have seen... How could I not have noticed?'

She looked down at her stomach, mind buzzing with thoughts. 'Mu... What have you left me to deal with you bastard?' The odd smile was back, more slightly amused than really hurt. 'A permanent reminder of you, I can so picture you laughing wherever you are... You're so lucky you're already dead or I'd have killed you myself. And Erica... Oh Erica would have shot you...'

She wondered how it was possible to smile and cry at the same time, but it was happening. The cold tears had begun to trickle down her face, but the smile still remained, almost frozen in place. 'Erica's ticked... Though she never said anything... She'll never forgive you... She doesn't need to say anything else for me to know this either, but she'll be there for me through everything...'

Her shoulders shook slightly and she bent over a bit, and the sobs began to come. With a shaky breath she called out for her friend, who was inside and hugging her in less then ten seconds. Whimpering as the sobs shook her entire body she whispered, "I'm so scared Erica."

"You don't need to be scared." Erica told her soothingly, stroking her back in soft soothing motions, voice low and gentle as she held her tight. "We're all here for you. You're not alone, you'll never be alone." Smiling very weakly she told her sweetly, "That little one is going to be so spoiled you're not going to know what to do with them."

Despite the tears, despite the worry, she laughed at the comment, knowing Erica was right. "There's going to quite a few people wanting to kidnap them, huh?"

"Of course, you're gonna need bodyguards." Erica told her with a warm smile, straightening her a bit, bracing her by wrapping her arm firmly around the woman's shoulders. "I heard Athrun was available." The comment did the trick, Murrue tearfully smiled. Erica got a little maternal herself, gently brushing her friend's tears away, commenting quietly, "Everything's going to be alright sweetie. We're all here for you."

"I'm going to get very annoyed at the never-ending company, aren't I?" Murrue asked sarcastically, though she didn't have the heart to keep the real facade up, she knew her friends were going to try their best for her.

"Sweetie," Erica told her cheerfully, playfully ruffling her hair in a very sisterly gesture, "we are not going to leave you alone." She was happy to see that her weak jokes and smiles were working, the tears were gone and she was smiling, however weakly. "Are you okay?"

"Better... Still very surprised though..." Murrue replied quietly, running her hand wearily through her hair, she still couldn't muster the strength to speak strongly. "I'm suddenly very exhausted."

"Well you need to start eating right, missy." Erica told her in a very matter-of-fact tone that made Murrue realize she was a full-time mother and a boss, she meant business. "And you're not living alone for a decent while, you do understand that right? You can move in with me if you have to."

"Wait, wait, wait! You have a family of your own, I'm not going to intrude on that!" Murrue argued immediately, not wanting to put any stress at all on her redheaded friend. "If I _have to_ move out," Making sure to put a very strong emphasis on the words before continuing, "I'll move in with Kira and Lacus, at least there I could help take care of the orphans and such, so I wouldn't be causing too much of an interruption."

"You wouldn't be an interruption." Erica told her in a gently scolding voice, ruffling her hair once more as they sat together. "Besides... You can't be living alone in your condition, what happens if you start to go into labour and can't get to the phone? Or god forbid, something worse happens to you? You'll be moving in with somebody. If not now, before you reach five months, I want to know that _somebody's_ keeping a vigilant eye on you if I can't do it myself."

"You sound like my mother." Murrue murmured under her breath, agreeing mentally, if incredibly grudgingly, with what Erica was saying. She was a bit taken off guard by the fierce surge of maternal protection for the unborn child growing inside of her when she thought of what could happen. 'So sudden, so fierce... Amazing...'

"You best get used to it, you'll be talking like me soon enough." Erica teased gently, once again ruffling her hair, her arm never leaving Murrue's shoulders, still giving her that support. "Just you wait," She had turned her voice to her friends stomach, addressing the unborn boy or girl, "you're going to have one hell of a mom. And you'll be able to walk all over her."

"We'll see about that." Murrue replied with feigned offence, but her smile and the new tender light in her eyes gave her away in a heartbeat. 'Erica's probably right little one...' She thought with a growing smile, hands still settled gently on her stomach, warm with love for her unborn child, 'You will be able to walk all over me, just like your father before you... And I hope with all my heart you'll be just like him... Though I can already just tell that you will be.'

* * *

Time passed remarkably fast, before she knew it she had moved in with both Kira and Lacus, the two seemed so incredibly happy to have her there. Despite her protests the entire way to pay for room, the two wouldn't hear of it. Lacus had cheerfully told her that the only payment they wanted to receive was a bit of help with the orphans, something Murrue was glad to do.

She was still quite embarrassed by the happy show they had made for her, the kids had just suddenly fallen in love with her, which was both flattering and quite alarming. And Kira seemed to think that was all very amusing. Despite not being all to pay rent, she spent her time teaching Lacus how to bake and cook, in her own way to help pay back what she felt was owed.

She was rather enjoying spending so much time with the young ones, they really did grow on her quickly. Her things were moved into a far room in the mansion, closed off but still in the centre of chaos anyway, and somehow she felt more and more at home with each passing day.

She had no idea how time had flown so quickly, seven months had passed already. It was one of those beautiful days in the middle of the year, the sun was burning down on the beach, making the warm atmosphere seem even more homey to her.

Stretching out as best she could she arranged herself idly on the stairs, watching the orphans play on the coast. She peeked over her shoulder, spotting Erica standing in the doorway, serene smile on her face. She had shown up a few hours earlier, saying pleasantly all she wanted was to hang out.

Wincing a little at the pain in her back, she reached behind her to place her hand there. 'Ow... I'm really sore today...'

"Hey, you feeling okay? You look stiff." Erica commented, leaning in a little to examine her friend's pained expression. "Back hurt or something?"

"Yeah actually..." Murrue replied stiffly, wincing when a sharp ringing pain from her stomach suddenly made her gasp. "Oh!"

"Murrue?" Erica quickly was kneeling at her side, seeing the shock of the sudden pain race across her friend's face. Her own eyes narrowed a little in suspicion and she said quietly, "Murrue, did you just have a contraction?"

Murrue looked up in complete shock, eyes widening as the gravity of her friend's words hit her like a ton of bricks. "Con-contractions? No, I can't, I'm only seven months!"

"Murrue, it can happen." Erica told her soothingly, watching as another spasm rocked her friend's slim form mightily. She waited until it happened again a few minutes later and said firmly, "It's contractions. You need to get to the hospital."

"Erica, I can't!" Murrue protested, eyes wide with fear, hands gripping her stomach as if she could stop the labour herself. "I'm two months early! I can't be in labour yet!"

"Sweetie, it happens. You and your baby will be fine, but you _need_ to get to the hospital." Erica told her firmly, gently taking the frightened brunette's hand in her own. "I swear to you, you'll be okay. C'mon."

The drive seemed to take forever, Erica was cursing the traffic with every breath she had that wasn't being used to comfort and calm the nervous woman in the front seat beside her. They bounded into the hospital and it only took a few more minutes before they were all ready for the delivery, and by then the contractions had grown worse.

Erica didn't leave Murrue's side for a moment, letting her clutch her hand as tightly as she needed, not minding the pain her vice-like grip caused. She murmured soft words of encouragement as she watched Murrue grit her teeth, hissing curses. "You can do it Murrue... Keep pushing, you'll be fine..."

"Ah god dammit!" Murrue cried out, closing her eyes and straining as another contraction hit, the pain bringing tears to her eyes. She swore she could hear his voice there too, whispering soft words of encouragement. Mentally she sobbed, the pain was overwhelming. 'I don't think I can do this!'

"_You can do it."_ His voice whispered into her ear, and she could feel his hand caressing her hair away from her face. _"You know you can. You're the strongest woman I know, you can definitely do this. Now just a bit harder!"_

"Fuck it all Mu!" Murrue cried out again, closing her eyes and straining with all her might, swearing to the gods she wouldn't give up. "God damn!"

"One more!"

"Ahh!"

The shrill wail of the boy's cut through the sudden silence, and Murrue groaned massively, sinking into the cot almost as if she had fainted. Erica laughed weakly, watching the doctor whisk the newborn away to clean, and she gently began to wipe the perspiration from Murrue's forehead. "You did it sweetheart... He's a beautiful baby boy."

"Is he... Okay...?" Murrue asked weakly, opening her eyes a little to search for her child. His soft crying assured her he was most definitely okay, and she nearly sighed in relief. "Thank the gods..."

Erica got to her feet to sake the child for the terribly weakened brunette, gently peeling back the blue blanket he was swaddled in to reveal his face. Already he had a cap of blond wispy hair, and when he opened his eyes they were a brilliant emerald she hadn't expected to see. Holding the baby close she said softly to Murrue, "Oh... He's beautiful..."

"Here." Murrue forced herself up into a sitting position, reaching to take her son. Erica quickly relinquished him to her, stepping back to watch Murrue's face light up with a new maternal joy. She smiled, and snuck a glance at the ceiling. She said softly, quietly enough so no one would hear, "You have a son La Flaga... I'll watch out for them both for you."

Murrue cradled the newborn close to her heart, humming a soft lullaby she had learned from her mother when she was just young. Pressing a soft kiss to her son's forehead she whispered gently, "I love you little one... And I was right, you do look just like your father..."

"I don't remember La Flaga having green eyes, that was a bit of a shocker." Erica couldn't help but comment, and Murrue shot her a wry smile. Sitting down next to the new mother she added gently, "Not from your side of the family, huh?"

"No one I knew had green eyes." Murrue remarked, gazing down at her son, who was watching the surroundings with those wide emerald eyes of his. He was waving his chubby arms around, as if he wanted to escape and explore. She held him closer and said softly, "It must be from his side... But regardless, he's a handsome boy... You'll be quite the catch when you're older, just like your father."

"Just what the world needs, another La Flaga running around and causing heartsickness among the innocent young ladies." Erica teased, leaning over to see the boy staring intently at her, not with fear but confusion, he was still looking around. Laughing she couldn't help herself and cooed to him, "Are you going to be the next heartbreak kid? Huh? We best get the future parents to lock up their girls."

Murrue giggled, holding her son close, and he opened his mouth as if agreeing with Erica which only caused both women to start laughing. Nuzzling him gently she murmured, "You'll have your father's charm, that's for sure, I can see it already. I best keep you on a leash."

"What's his name?" Erica asked quizzically, tilting her head to the side as she watched Murrue make a quiet fuss over her little boy. "Did you pick one out yet?"

"Bryan." Murrue answered almost immediately and definitely, her marigold eyes never leaving her newborn son's face. "Bryan Alexander La Flaga."

"La Flaga?" Erica looked slightly caught off guard by that, and it took a few moments before her expression softened into gentle and fond exasperation. She once again couldn't help herself and said teasingly, "When time comes for you to pick out your alias you better not pick 'La Flaga' as your surname, that'll definitely raise some eyebrows."

"Oh quiet." Murrue hushed her friend, noticing her son yawning and cuddling closer to her for warmth and she clutched him tightly, never wanting to let him go. She heard her lover's laughter in her ears and thought with a tender smile, 'Look at your son Mu. Your son.'

"_Our son Murrue."_ He corrected her with a gentle chuckle, his loving tone ringing pleasantly in her ears. _"Our son."_

**AN**

**Lol, the first chapter (prologue I suppose) of my new AU(ish)-type fic, lol. How was it? Good, bad, horrible? Lol, plz give me your thoughts n I'll think about continuing it, lmao. Thanks for reading anyway, cya next update! **

**Sky**


	2. Chapter 1

_Two Months_

"Sleeping much yet?" Erica teased, leaning over the dozing brunette with twinkling eyes. Murrue started at the sound and sudden appearance of her friend, only causing Erica to laugh more. "Guess not. He keeps you awake, huh?"

"Surprisingly not as much as I expected." Murrue conceded, struggling to keep down a yawn but it didn't work out so well. Sighing, she looked up into the bright blue sky, the sun's rays raining down on her. It was a beautiful day, she couldn't help but want to be outside, but she only dared to go as far as the front steps, baby monitor sitting faithfully by her side.

"_Paranoia." _Erica had called it when she first brought the baby home, explaining exactly just what was going to end up happening. Much to Murrue's chagrin, Erica was completely right, she hadn't slept properly for the first two and a half weeks Bryan was home, every little noise kept her racing.

"He a trooper?" Erica asked with a smile, elbows folded on her knees, watching Murrue smile a little bit. "Or does he get into everything already?"

"He's curious, he never stays still unless he's exhausted." Murrue answered, remembering how he had wriggled around fiercely when she brought him home, wanting to see everything all at once, babbling as best he could. "But if I put him down he goes straight to sleep, thank god. But I'm still edgy..."

"It'll pass eventually." Erica assured her, patting her on the head gently, peeking over her shoulder at the small little home Murrue now possessed. She had moved back into the three room home she had originally owned, insisting she wouldn't cause more trouble with the baby and nobody had been able to dissuade her. Her own room, the baby's room right next, and a guest room, besides the others, it was surprisingly welcoming considering she'd only lived there for a full four months, pregnancy not included.

"I hope so, I'm always nervous when I hear something from that room." Murrue murmured weakly, feeling quite strange admitting that to anybody. She hoped it wasn't just her, and was very glad for Erica to laugh and join in on the 'motherly woes' as she so happily called them. "I'm wired for sound, it's really hard to sleep."

"You look okay, better than I did. I barely even bothered to change half the days." Erica told her with a laugh, stretching her arms over her head. "Ryuta kept me busy, crawling before I was ready for him, he drove me nuts. Walking by the time he was a year, talking a month after that... For a Natural, he was incredibly smart at such a young age..."

"He had smart parents." Murrue teased, poking her friend in the ribs, earning a little squeak before Erica shuffled away laughing. "I wonder if Bryan will be talking before he's walking?"

"Mmm, hard to say. He's already curious." Erica replied, grinning broadly at Murrue's tiny little smile. "You're so in love with this little boy. I can't wait to see how you're gonna act once he's sixteen and a proper heartthrob."

"Oh don't start." Murrue grumbled, having been enduring the jokes for well over the two months her son had been in the world. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but she actually did worry about what would happen when he was old enough to begin to do things on his own. 'A Grizzly bear with her cub, that's what Cagalli called me. I was almost embarrassed... I'd have been properly awkward if it wasn't so damn true.' She finally, begrudgingly, admit, "I'll worry like hell... But I'll raise him right."

The two women continued to talk, mostly about subjects relating to their children, it seemed so natural between them now. Erica casually inserted her comment into the conversation, "Y'know... If you ever wanted to come back to work at Morgenroete, your job is still waiting for you."

Murrue blinked, not sure she'd heard that properly. Looking round, she noticed Erica looked rather flustered, as if she was embarrassed. "You'd let me come back?"

Blushing a little, a feat which surprised the brunette mother to no end, Erica muttered awkwardly, "Everybody at work misses you, they keep asking if you'll be coming back... And well, I uh, I kinda miss having you around too. It's nice... And it was fun to have a girlfriend at work."

Murrue burst into giggles, completely blown away with amusement by her boss' embarrassed behaviour. Hands on her knees she laughed aloud, "You're blushing!"

"I am not!" Erica retorted stubbornly, glaring away, though traitorously the red tint of her cheeks gave her facade away.

"Hee, yes you are!" Murrue gleefully pointed at the blush on her friend's face, unable to resist poking fun at her normally calm and cool-faced employer. It wasn't natural for Erica to be this open about things like this, it did get awkward for her. Murrue sang in a teasing voice, "You_ do_ care! I thought I was just another underling! I feel loved!"

"Y'know I really think I'm going to withdraw my offer." Erica grumbled, very flustered with both herself and her friend's relentless teasing.

Murrue bounded to her feet and hugged the startled redhead tight, laughing at the sudden stiffness. "Thank you Erica. I'd love to come back to work" She added hastily, looking a faint bit embarrassed herself, "When I feel comfortable enough with leaving Bry with a babysitter that is."

"You get another few months off, maternity leave loves you." Erica commented with a little smirk, the two sitting down again. Gently elbowing Murrue in the ribs she added cheerfully, "And it suits you very well I may add."

It was Murrue's turn to blush, and she looked down at her feet sheepishly. 'I always wanted to be a mother...' Her smile turned a little weaker when she added mentally, 'Though not under these circumstances...' Perking herself up, she asked teasingly, "So are you planning on giving Ryuta that little sister he's been asking for?"

Erica both blushed something fierce and scowled at the same time, and finally grumbled, "My in-laws would be thrilled..."

The obvious disdain in her eyes told Murrue she had a rocky relationship with her husband's side of the family. And she couldn't help herself and asked, "Do you not like them?"

"Nathan's younger brother and sister are nice enough, them I can get along with. His parents though, ugh, they're a living nightmare." Erica commented with a visible shudder, looking fairly irritated. She could tell Murrue was wondering and she shrugged before adding, "I think his mother has a definite problem with a son complex."

"Ooh, bet that went over well at your wedding." Murrue snickered, and Erica pulled a face which nearly sent the woman into hysterics. "She threw a tantrum?"

"Got drunk." Erica replied with obvious distaste, shaking her head slowly from side to side. "Thank god we had already booted it off to Paris for the honeymoon by the time she was plastered. Heard she raised hell about me though, I was actually perversely proud when Hilary told me the story."

"Hilary, Nathan's little sister?"

"Yeah."

"Nice enough name. She likes you?" Murrue asked, tilting her head to the side, intrigued by Erica's story.

"Oh yeah, thank god." Erica said with a huge sigh of relief, thinking of her pleasant sister-in-law. "The girl's a bomb waiting to go off though, I can't describe how much she doesn't like her mother for badmouthing me." If a virtually sweatdrop could have appeared on Erica's head it would have, the woman looked incredibly sheepish when she continued, "I told the girl there wasn't any hard feelings but... At least Jason's better off, he keeps his nose out of everything. He's pretty good-looking too actually, almost as handsome as his big brother." Erica smiled devilishly, goading a snicker from Murrue.

"Don't you be having any affairs now." Murrue teased, and Erica winked, her expression one of a very content woman in love. Murrue felt a pang of envy in her chest and she nearly winced but kept her smile firmly in place. "His family nice enough to you anyway?"

"Oh yeah, maybe they'll come down from the PLANTs and you can meet them one day." Erica remarked, looking up into the sky unconsciously, her smile fading a little. "I think you'd like them."

"Always nice to meet a friend's family." Murrue said cheerfully, before a soft murmur from the baby's monitor caught her attention. She hurriedly got to her feet and said hastily, "Excuse me." before bolting off into the home. As she thought, Bryan was now awake from his nap, squirming something fierce in his crib, babbling with annoyance at his mother.

"Oh shush or I won't bring you outside." Murrue scolded, sweeping him into her arms and nuzzling his cheek against hers lovingly. After quickly changing him, she hoisted him once more into her arms and carried him outside. Erica's face immediately lit up and Bryan started babbling at the sight of her, always happy to have company.

"He loves you more than me." Murrue said with mock disappointment, handing her son over to Erica who started to laugh as she placed the babe on her knee and cooed to him. She couldn't help but smile, reaching out tenderly to remove a little bit of a fluff from his golden blond curls. "He's growing so fast..."

"Two months already, has it honestly been that long?" Erica asked, nuzzling her adopted nephew before handing him back to Murrue. The infant squirmed in her embrace, trying to look everywhere at once with those wide emerald eyes of his. "Seems like it was only yesterday you were bringing him home."

"Heh, he certainly is growing, he's holding his head up and everything now." Murrue remarked, watching how Bryan followed her with his eyes, clinging to the front of her shirt as tightly as his little hands could manage. Giggling at this she touched noses with her son and cooed, "Aren't you getting strong already? Will you be big and strong like your daddy?"

Bryan smiled back widely and Erica laughed at this while Murrue beamed with delight and pride. The redhead was a bit startled by the longing the look in Murrue's face left in her chest and she murmured weakly, "Looking at you two does make me want another child."

"Go for it." Murrue grinned, gaze leaving her son for a moment to see Erica's sheepish and hesitant smile that she replied with. "I mean, you and Nate are still capable of having kids, aren't you? What's stopping you?"

"Nothing really." Erica answered weakly, not sure how to phrase what she meant to say, so she just shrugged. "I guess you're right... Though I'll need to talk to Nathan." 'I'll have to talk to Nate about it, I 'm not sure if he's up for another one, especially with _the visit_ coming so soon anyway.'

"I hope you do consider it. I bet Ryuta would be thrilled."

"You just want an excuse to match Bryan up with somebody ahead of time." Erica replied with a snicker, and Murrue blushed but laughed along anyway. Leaning back on the porch she gazed up at the sky and said conversationally, "Any plans for school or what not when he's old enough?"

"Stop rushing things." Murrue said with a hint of playful teasing, holding her son close who was still more interested in looking around than anything else. "He's two months old Erica, you sound like my mother with everything you're asking. I have plenty of time to think about it."

"Just asking." Erica grinned, watching Bryan giggle and smile, clearly having the time of his life. "He's just growing up so fast..."

Night came faster than expected, they had really lost track of time. The day had flown, and Erica went back home leaving Murrue and her baby alone. The day outside had tuckered the poor infant right out, and after setting him down, she wandered to her room in search of some rest herself.

She tried almost everything but she just couldn't fall asleep, and finally tossed aside her book with a snort of frustration, glaring up at the ceiling. 'Warm milk, reading, soft music, gah, what the hell's wrong with me?' Finally impatience won out, and after taking the monitor with her, she found her way to the back porch, watching the beach outside.

She smiled minutely, the full moon above casting its pale light on the beach, turning the sand into a silvery colour. Sitting down on the stairs she closed her eyes and listened to the gentle crash of the waves on the coast. The cool air brought a serene smile to her face, and keeping her eyes closed she listened to the near silence.

Suddenly out of nowhere she swore she heard laughter, and quickly glanced around, very confused. 'Eh? Teenagers partying on the beach again?' Blinking, she stood up wearily and peeked around the house, figuring she'd spot a bonfire and a few rowdy teenagers throwing a party, but she saw nothing.

Frowning at herself she sat back down, resting her elbows on her knees, hands cupping her chin. Closing her eyes again, she attempted to somehow find a way to soothe her so she could sleep. 'Damn.' She heard the laughter again, this time it seemed much closer.

Getting to her feet and becoming rather annoyed she walked to the other side of the porch, swearing she'd give whoever was out there a piece of her mind. But once again, she saw nothing. 'What in the world is going on? Damn kids!'

Finally she gave up, collapsing into a sitting position, placing her head in her hands with a loud sigh. "I'm going crazy." The laughter came again, this time right behind her. She froze, adrenalin surging through her chest. Very slowly, she turned around and gasped audibly, his name escaping her with a whoosh of air. "Mu!"

He smiled weakly.

Murrue smiled back, just as weakly, the adrenalin gone, filled with a mixed emotion of both affection and disappointment. "Am I dreaming?" He nodded, and she sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Figured as much... Nothing is that good..." She scolded him half-heartedly, not really putting herself into it, "You scared me."

He smiled again, fairly apologetically. He said in an oddly musical tone, the words echoing in her ears, "Sorry... But I figured it was better than showing up while Erica was around..."

"That could have been very interesting." Murrue admit with a weak little smile, imagining how Erica would react to such an encounter. 'Talking and staring at nothing...' "Would have gotten me admitted, but still would be very interesting."

"That's exactly why I didn't show up till now." He told her cheerfully, and she smiled gently in response. "Can't have you being locked up for seeing ghosts. That'd definitely be a difficult problem, even for you."

Murrue rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, watching him perplexedly for a few long moments. "Why are you here? Surely you can think of better things to do than annoy the hell out of me."

He chuckled, and with his probably best attempt at a cryptic voice he said, "I've come to warn you."

Rolling her eyes she walked right by him, content to imagine that she really was out of her mind and said calmly, "I'm going inside." She swore she could hear him pouting, and turned a little. "What do you really want?"

"I'm sorry..." He said with a sigh, hanging his head a little, looking very apologetic. When she turned all the way around he said meekly, "I do really have something to say to you though." She was looking him in the eye again and he said quietly, "Something... And I'm not sure when, but something is going to happen." She raised both eyebrows and he quickly added, "You're going to fall in love again."

Murrue stared in shock, first not really able to believe what was going on in the first place, or his choice of words for that matter. After a few moments she just accepted the insanity that must have hit her and she hissed with much more venom then she thought she was capable of, "No. I won't._ I won't_!" He didn't say anything, merely watched her with a saddened expression. Losing it entirely she finally yelled, "I won't ever! You're nothing but a damn dream!"

She whirled around, tears beginning to bubble up in her eyes and raced inside as fast as she could. She somehow found her way back into her son's room, and he was still fast asleep in his crib. Buckling she fell to her knees and sobbed softly into her hands, so not to wake him.

"I won't." She whispered quietly, the tears still coming and dripping from her face onto the floor, into the carpet. Looking up at her baby with tears in her eyes she whispered again, "I won't. I won't fall in love, never again."

**AN**

**Lol, I'm going ghosts. (Sorry) Lol, somebody best call an exorcist or the Ghostbusters, lmao. (Sorry again) I can't help myself, XD My sisters got me into it with all the ghost talk we had, rofl. Heheheh, though we're all guilty of writing the "ghost comes to visit" thing, (sweatdrop) I couldn't help myself. Lol, there's going to be one moar ghost visit, (n it'll be moar cheerful, promise), n as sis requested, Bry, Heehee. Oh, took some very artistic licence with Erica, lmao, hope nobody minds! Lol, cya soon!**

**Sky**


	3. Chapter 2

She woke with a start, the bright morning light shining through the windows into the room. Blinking quizzically, she stretched her aching limbs and looked into the crib, Bryan was sound asleep. She breathed a quiet sigh, getting to her feet, wincing again when her muscles ached one more. 'Ow... That's the last time I fall asleep in a chair...'

She paused, looking around unconsciously. 'He... He _was _here last night... Wasn't he?' Suddenly annoyed at herself, she straightened her messy hair and grumbled, 'This is getting really stupid.' She hurried out her baby's room and into the shower, hoping she'd have some time to wash up before he woke up.

The hot water rained angrily down on her, quickly waking her up completely and soothing some of her aches. She didn't waste any time, turned off the shower and quickly pat herself dry before slipping into shorts and a t-shirt. She peeked around the corner, listening intently for any sounds but heard none and she smiled.

Brushing her hair she looked into the mirror, and for a moment she was caught off guard, swearing she saw him standing behind her. When she whirled around, no one was there. Eyes narrowing, she pinched herself in the arm, and the pain caused her to flinch. 'I'm not going crazy. I'm not. I'm just dreaming because I've had no sleep. I need a good coffee.'

She had time to make her coffee before she heard the familiar cry of her son's. Leaving her mug on the table he hurried to his room, and sure enough, he was there whining for her. "Okay, okay..." Murrue cooed, picking him up and cradling him close. "Sorry for making you wait sweetie..."

She heard the shrill ring of the phone and stifled a groan, glancing over into the hall where the sound was coming from. 'Damn... I'll just call back later...' She busied herself with meeting Bryan's needs before going back into the kitchen, holding him in the crook of her arm before she touched the blinking light of the message machine and it began to play.

"_Hey Murrue, it's me, Kira. Lacus and I were wondering if you'd mind coming over for the day, I think she misses being around Bryan, she's taken quite a shine to him... Anyway if you're sleeping sorry if I woke you, and call us back when you get the message I guess. Well, see you soon. Bye."_

Murrue grinned a little at the second thing Kira had said, about Lacus. She knew exactly why she'd taken such an immediate shine to Bryan, it was a fair bit amusing how Kira didn't understand that, even after a near year together. 'He's a bit dense.' giggling to herself she picked up the phone and dialled the number for the cabin. She wasn't surprised when Lacus picked up, sounding rather out of breath.

"_Hello?"_

"Hello Miss Lacus." Murrue said politely, and she heard the familiar yelling and laughter of the orphans in the background on the other end. "Keeping busy are we?"

"_Oh as always Miss Murrue."_ Lacus replied with an obvious smile in her tone. She inquired just as politely, _"I suppose you got our message?"_

"Yeah, sorry I didn't pick up though, it was busy with Bryan, he just woke up." Murrue replied with a smile, knowing Lacus was having a little moment at the mention of the baby. It really did amuse the young mother how excited the bubble-gum haired princess could get over her son. "So you'd like us over?" Smiling broadly she added before Lacus could answer, unable to stop herself from teasing, "Or do you just want me to drop Bryan off and you can take him?"

There was a long embarrassed silence, and Murrue knew she had made the young woman blush horribly. Lacus stammered awkwardly, _"W-We'd like you both to come."_

Murrue couldn't help herself and teased gently, "Why don't you just tell Kira you want to get engaged and start a family? Sure you're young, but you don't need to start right away. Drop a few hints."

Lacus's almost grumpy tone nearly set the brunette off into laughter, and she grumbled, _"I've tried. And if I had a nickel for every time Cagalli told me that..."_

Murrue couldn't help it, the laughter escaped, and before she knew it she was leaning on the counter absorbed in laughter. "Oh god... I'm sorry, really..." She tried to apologize but the giggles made her sides ache and she redoubled her grip on her son who was clearly jolted by the sudden spasms of laughter. Finally she calmed down and suggested cheerfully, "Maybe you should take a leaf out of Miss Cagalli's book."

"_Miss Murrue! I couldn't do that!"_ Lacus sounded properly appalled by the suggestion, which nearly had Murrue in hysterics again. It was as if she had suggested something completely morbid.

"You two are too shy for your own good." Murrue told her, grinning broadly when she imagined how brightly red Lacus must have gone. She beamed at a sudden idea and told the girl sweetly, "One day I'm going to have to lock you both together in a closet. You can have at it then."

There was only a strangled squeaking sound, and Murrue wondered if Lacus had dropped the phone, but she honestly couldn't quit her laughter. Finally Lacus squeaked, voice thin and unsteady, _"Miss murrue you're being very bold."_

"You're being too shy. If you want something from him then sometimes you need to say something." Murrue pointed out, and Lacus' silence told her she knew she was right. Deciding to give her some relief she changed the subject abruptly, "Who else is coming to the cabin?"

"_Um... I think Cagalli and Athrun both agreed to come... Oh, and Mr Waltfeld, him as well."_ Lacus replied after a moment of thought. _"Does that sound alright or is that too many people for Bryan?"_

"No, he'll get used to all the company pretty quickly, he loves people." Murrue answered, looking at her son who was busily eying a pair of birds perched in a tree right outside the window. She added with a smirk, pressing her lips briefly to his wispy hair, "He loves being the centre of attention too. He'll be just fine."

"_Oh, okay. He hasn't met Mr Waltfeld yet, has he?"_

"No, I don't think so..." Murrue mused, thinking back. Her interaction with the man had been very limited since the end of the war. She wondered how Bryan would react to meeting him. "I'll be up around noon, is that okay for you?"

"_Oh sure. We'll see you then."_

* * *

Bryan behaved exceptionally well around the others, each having their turn to hold the two month old boy. Cagalli's expression had been a picture of delight when she cradled the blond, Athrun looked slightly apprehensive at first but quickly took to the young one as well, smiling back at Bryan's huge grin. Lacus, as always, looked incredibly cheerful when it was her turn to hold him, Kira smiled shakily when it was his turn, holding the baby carefully yet guardedly, looking slightly uncertain.

Murrue had laughed at everybody's expression, and took her son back again, enjoying how the girls quickly peeked over again. "You two ought to get one of your own when you're older."

"One day maybe." Cagalli replied hesitantly, blushing and sneaking a glance over at her boyfriend, who was currently engaged in a deep conversation with Kira. "Maybe..."

"I don't know." Lacus answered just as hesitantly, though she kept her gaze on her toes when she spoke, nervous. "Perhaps."

The door opened and Murrue looked over her shoulder to see the tall tanned man entering the cabin, sheepish smile over his scarred face. "Sorry about the wait, got a bit held up on the highway." Andrew Waltfeld stopped short when he saw the brunette on the couch holding a bundle and he grinned. "So this is the young one everybody's fussing over?"

"Yep." Murrue laughed, taking to his cheery personality instantly. "Want to come and take your turn Mr Waltfeld?" The man grinned and nodded, brushing a hand through his unruly brown hair before walking over to peek at the blond boy. Much to Murrue's surprise Bryan went very still, his emerald eyes wide as they stayed up at the man. Murrue blushed sheepishly, startled by his sudden change of behaviour, "I'm sorry, he doesn't do that often..."

Andrew chuckled, looking amused by the startled look on the baby's face. "Sorry about that, I guess I do look scary." He tapped the forked scar over his left eye and added cheerfully, "With the scar and all."

Murrue smiled weakly, though she instinctively pulled her son closer, not really understanding why he reacted that way. She glanced back up at the man, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, it's natural I guess." Andrew answered with another chuckle, looking over towards Kira, who gave him a welcoming nod and Lacus who smiled at waved pleasantly at him. He smiled back at Murrue and said gallantly, "I'm Andrew Waltfeld anyway, though I bet the kids already introduced me... We haven't spoken much or been introduced properly I guess, have we Miss Murrue?" She shook her head weakly and he grinned again, taking her free hand and brushing a gentlemanly kiss to the back, "Pleasure to meet you properly."

Murrue immediately kicked herself when she felt the blush coming, growling mentally, 'Hold it girl. Don't get all embarrassed, he's being polite.' She scowled inwardly, realizing the only reason she'd blushed because he reminded her strikingly of Mu. She saw the man grin and smiled very weakly back. "Pleasure."

"So... Um, where's the father?" Andrew asked politely, and it was like the entire room froze at the words, and he immediately knew he'd said something wrong. A strange silence fell over the room and he couldn't help but suddenly feel very idiotic.

Kira glanced worriedly over at Murrue, but she didn't look the least bit fazed, frozen smile set in place though her eyes were burning with emotion.

"He's... Not here anymore." Murrue said with as couch of a straight face as she could, swearing to herself that no matter what she wouldn't shed a tear not while she was here at least. "He... Died in Jachin Due, he was the pilot of the Strike. I don't think you two really ever met properly, his name was Mu La Flaga..." She smiled weakly when she saw that look of guilt and anger, knowing he was annoyed with himself for not knowing ahead of time. Gently switching Bryan to her other arm she tapped his gently and told him, "You didn't know, don't look so mad at yourself. I get it all the time, I'm really used to being asked."

He looked sheepish again, but he took her words anyway and managed to smile. "You don't need to lie for my expense, but I was a nice enough gesture."

Murrue smiled weakly, knowing she just couldn't fool everyone. The day seemed to pass incredibly slowly, and she wasn't very surprised to see how quickly Bryan was tuckered out by all of the excitement. She travelled home, changed the already sleeping boy into his fleecy pajamas and figured she'd get some sleep of her own.

Her mind had other plans.

"Hello again."

"Yikes!" Murrue jumped, impulsively covering her half undressed state. She relaxed when she saw him again, still wearing his uniform and that smile she had fallen in love with so long ago. She sighed. 'Ghosts. Again.' "You're going to give me a heart-attack Mu."

"You're gonna have to get used to that." He replied with an odd sort of smile and she shot him a strange look before quickly donning her flannel pants and shrugging into her shirt. He watched her, almost wistfully and then said, "I wanted to check up on you again."

"If this is going to become a daily recurrence with you I'm going to move houses." Murrue grumbled, having gotten quite annoyed with his so-called "visits" she really didn't want to be crazy, she couldn't afford it. He grinned at her and she scowled at him, annoyed at both herself for so quickly accepting the insanity and at him for goading it on. "Don't you have better things to do? Stop pestering me for one night, will you? Scare the shit out of Kira instead of me."

He actually looked interested, as though he was debating it... Then he smiled, saying cheerily, "No dice Murrue." Her face fell, and she looked both annoyed and disappointed. He pouted and asked sourly, "Why aren't you happy to see me?"

"First you pop out of nowhere and scare the living hell out me all the time!" Murrue exploded, throwing her hands up into the air in a mix of exasperation and annoyance. "Second, I'd like to have a little peace of mind between running around for Bryan and trying to keep what's left of my personal life together, and third, I wanna be sane!"

He ignored all of what she said but for one thing, cocking his head to the side like a puppy before asking quizzically, "Bryan?"

She scowled. "Out of everything I said, you only picked out 'Bryan'?" She sighed, ready to just concede defeat and admit she was ready to go to the psyche ward when a shrill cry broke her thoughts and she instinctively whirled to the sound. She snapped at Mu, "Oh now you've done it... It's your fault he's awake."

She walked around him, kicking herself when she thought 'Can I go through him if he's a ghost?' She hurried to her son's room, well aware he was following her, and when she got to his crib he was still crying. Quickly scooping him up she whispered soothingly into his hair, "I'm sorry baby... I didn't mean to wake you up... Shush, mommy's here for you..."

She noticed with a little surprise that he was there in the doorway, staring in shock at her. He swallowed, and said weakly, trying for humour, "I said you'd fall in love again, I didn't think you'd jump the gun."

"What the–" Murrue's voice rose when she spoke, and Bryan whimpered, so she quickly dropped her tone again to soothe the upset baby, "Are you kidding? He's yours." She watched his eyes light up, and she once again wondered if that was even possible. Very gently she brushed the blanket away from Bryan's face, revealing him to Mu.

He stared, looking shocked, and he could only stare hopelessly at the baby. He finally managed to gasp, "He... He's got my mom's eyes..."

Murrue smiled weakly, glancing down at the still squirming Bryan. She gently pressed another kiss to his forehead, humming his favourite lullaby. "Well..." She murmured, rocking him to and fro gently, "I suppose it's good to know where he got his eyes from anyway..." She looked back at Mu and smiled a little, and said quietly, "You look surprised."

"I am... I didn't know." He replied weakly, watching her holding his son with wide eyes. He said with a bit of a stammer, "I'm surprised... But I'm not sorry." She gave him a very strange look and he added softly, "I'm happy."

She smiled, unable to really resist the jibe, still rocking Bryan gently, "You'd have been very sorry if I'd gotten my hands on you after the labour." He laughed weakly, and she pressed another kiss to Bryan's forehead, watching the young one's eyes fluttering as he relaxed.

"Bryan...?" He tried the name out and she nodded weakly, and he smiled. "He's a handsome little boy..."

"He takes after his dad." Murrue replied with a little smile, and she was happy to see him grin in reply, obviously proud. They watched each other for a few moments, and Murrue broke the gaze first, looking down at her now sleeping son. Smiling wearily she brushed another gentle kiss to his brow before setting him down in the crib. She looked back at Mu, feeling that familiar pang of longing ringing in her chest. "I miss you."

"You won't be alone forever." He reminded her with a little smile, though he looked more wistful then ever again. He pointed out, "you aren't even alone now."

"If you're not with me... I feel alone." Murrue murmured, biting her lower lip as she felt the tears coming up her throat, burning as they came.

"It won't be for forever." He repeated gently, and somehow her tears were brushed away.

"I'd rather be alone forever than fall in love with someone who isn't you."

"Are you going to be stubborn about this?" He asked with an affectionately exasperated sigh, shaking his head.

Murrue thrust out her chin a little, lips set in a scowl of defiance, she meant what she said, the glare in her eyes told him that. "Hell yes. It's you, or no one else."

"You have to look out for Bryan too." He reminded her gently, and was taken aback by the fearsome fire that had started in her marigold eyes.

"Damn straight I'm going to look out for my son." Murrue nearly growled, almost insulted he'd think otherwise. "But he isn't going to know any other father but you. That's how I've decided it's going to go, and that's how it's going to be. Nothing is going to change that. Hell's going to freeze over before I name someone else the father of my son."

"I'm feeling very sorry for any future girlfriends that are out there." He muttered under his breath but she heard him and her eyes narrowed. He looked sheepish and hastily covered, "You're very protective." She smirked, almost proud and he chuckled. He looked away and said dully, "I've got to go..."

"Already?"

"Yeah... Only a shot period of time... And I'm afraid this was my last visit." He told her gently, watching her eyes widen in surprise then look away, the pain obvious to see. "I'm sorry, but there's kind of a limit, you know..."

Unable to really contain her curiosity she asked quizzically, "How's heaven? What's it... Like?"

"Trade secret." He replied with a grin.

"I meant what I said Mu." Murrue told him fiercely, eyes flashing as he looked at her in surprise. "I mean it. I miss you... And I'll love you forever."

"I know..." He whispered, and for a brief moment his lips felt like they touched hers, and when she opened her eyes again...

He was gone.

Murrue sighed, leaning on the crib and watching her son while she felt electricity buzz on her lips. Finally she murmured to the sleeping infant, "God forbid you're exactly like him and get so... Ugn, like your father."

He didn't answer, but she didn't expect him to. She watched him sleep for awhile, and finally when she couldn't take it any longer, wandered back to her own bedroom. Flicking on the baby monitor, she collapsed in a heap face-down on her bed with a muffled groan. "It would be so much easier if I just admitted myself."

**AN**

**Lol, would it be easier if she just admit herself into the psyche ward? Heehee. Okay, no moar ghostie-stuff, lmao, there will be much moar to the story next chapter, though I'm taking the liberty of hitting the "FFW" button on this remote of mine. Heehee. Cya soon, n plz remember to drop a review my way!**

**Sky**


	4. Chapter 3

_7 Months_

"Don't worry Miss Murrue. Bryan will be fine with us." Lacus reassured her friend, watching Murrue hop from foot to foot, looking incredibly nervous. She smiled weakly, knowing Murrue was very worried, it was only her first week back at work, and one of the rare times Bryan would be out of her sight. Gently shifting the baby to her hip she said gently, "We'll be fine."

Murrue chewed her lower lip, not sure what to say. Bryan was watching her again, his big emerald eyed focussed on her. She breathed and took her son back for a moment and murmured gently into his hair, "I'll be back soon, okay sweetie? Be good for Aunt Lacus and Uncle Kira."

Somewhat hesitantly she handed Bryan back to Lacus, looking nervous about going again. Lacus laughed, patted her gently on the arm and said cheerfully, "Don't be so nervous Miss Murrue, you can call every hour on the hour if you need to."

"I'm not that nervous." Murrue replied stubbornly, though a little voice laughed in her ear and told her cheerily, 'You're full of shit.' Slowly she walked away, though her heart started aching the minute she was more then ten feet away. 'Oh god damn... This really is harder than it looks...' Finally she steeled herself, forced herself to not look back. Sliding into her car she took another deep breath and then drove out.

She felt her throat tighten as she pulled onto the highway, but kept herself incased in ice to keep her heart from jumping through her chest. 'Damn, damn, dammit!' How she made it to work in one piece still amazed her, she pulled into the parking lot and rested her forehead on the steering wheel, breathing coming raggedly.

'Maybe it was too soon.' Murrue thought with a shaky sigh, slowly releasing her grip on the steering wheel. She wearily slid from her car, standing straight and forcing herself to keep walking. She made it to the front of the building before she felt herself stop. 'Damn...'

"Hey, welcome back."

Murrue whirled, not expecting to have seen her boss so soon. Erica smiled apologetically, sorry for startling her. Murrue returned the gesture with a weak smile of her own and said quietly, "Hi."

"Missing the little scamp already, huh?" Erica asked knowingly, watching Murrue's eyes flicker with surprise before lowering to the ground. Erica smiled, affectionately this time, reaching out to ruffle her friend's hair lovingly. "Don't worry, it's normal to be so anxious when you're away from your kid for the first time. Worrying's natural."

"Doesn't feel natural." Murrue grumbled, still having a little bit of trouble adjusting to Bryan. As much as she loved him, it was still odd at times... She looked away and mumbled under her breath, "And I really don't like having him out of my sight."

"Same as it was with La Flaga, huh? Worried he's gonna get up to all sorts of trouble..." Erica mused, catching the way Murrue's distant expression changed into a bit of a smile. She smiled as well, unable to describe how glad she was to see a smile on the brunette's face. "Don't worry, I'm sure Miss Lacus can take great care of the boy... Mind you, if he goes missing the princess probably was the one who did it."

"Probably so." Murrue laughed, remembering the way Lacus' face lit up every time she saw the little boy. "She really wants a child of her own... It's a bit of a pity that Kira is so horrible at picking up her signals."

"Pity? It's downright hilarious." Erica replied with a laugh, and the two began walking into the factory, laughing and trading jokes as they went. As they walked Erica's expression suddenly grew serious as the passed the C section, where mobile suits and armours were both repaired and created. She said grimly, "I forgot to tell you, we ran into a bit of a small problem."

"Problem? How small is this 'a bit of a small problem' exactly?" Murrue asked suspiciously, coming to a halt immediately, gaze flickering out at the mobile suits. She gasped, recognizing the units from blueprints Erica had given her weeks ago. "Earth Alliance?! The Alliance _is here_!? How is that a 'small problem' Erica!?"

"Hold on, let me finish explaining before you freak out!" Erica exclaimed, waving her hands in exasperation until Murrue stopped ranting, scowled and folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, the Alliance is here, they sent us a few of those new prototypes that I told you about. They'd like us to test out the suits."

"Hell no."

"It's a bit too late to deny them." Erica said with a bit of weariness, running her hand over her face as she struggled not to smile. "We're not at war Murrue, like us, they're just trying to protect themselves in case something happens. You know I'm right, or we wouldn't be bothering with the Murasame project now would we?"

Murrue scowled but knew her friend was right despite all her personal misgivings. 'The war is over, thank god... But myself and all the others, we're still criminals and having the Alliance here is incredibly risky, Erica knows that... How many of the ArchAngel crew found jobs here after the war ended?' Her arms still crossed she asked sarcastically, "You know if somebody recognizes me, we're all pretty much screwed? You included?"

"Yeah, I know." Erica replied with a little wave of her hand, appearing surprisingly nonchalant. She noticed Murrue's startled expression to her uncaring attitude and shot her a bright and rather impish grin. "Look, I wouldn't let them come unless I knew I could handle things _and_ make sure you and the others were safe. I'm not that negligent or stupid. I've got things handled."

"You're lucky I trust you or I'd have killed you by now." Murrue grumbled, pocketing her hands and trying not to fume like a spoiled child. She knew Erica was probably right, but her instincts were telling her to turn around and leave the factory. Suddenly very suspicious again, she asked with narrowed eyes, "Did you _only_ take mobile suits from the Alliance? Because that's fine, I won't need to deal with them, but did you take any ships?"

"No, I refused the ships." Erica replied, raising an eyebrow at the growl in Murrue's voice. She leaned back a bit, examining her friend's annoyed face, she asked casually, "Are you mad at me?"

"Slightly."

Erica didn't know whether she should laugh or not, but the way her friend's marigold eyes were flashing she knew better. She said casually again, still very nonchalant, "Well I understand why but I don't really appreciate you glaring at me like that."

"I wouldn't be glaring at you if you hadn't _forgot_ to tell me about the Earth forces being here!" Murrue snapped back, frustration and nerves getting the best of her. "That's a huge thing to forget to tell somebody _who's been on the run for nearly two years_!"

"I'm not nervous, why are you?" Erica asked with raised eyebrows, a little injured that Murrue didn't trust her judgement. "C'mon, I'm not out to get you. You'll be fine. They aren't even in your department and if they are, just hide."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one with a price on your head." Murrue growled.

"No but I'd be as equally guilty for harbouring a fugitive." Erica pointed out, wondering if it was just nerves that had gotten Murrue all riled up. "You're not the only one who could end up getting into a lot of trouble. And Cagalli could end up getting into quite a bit more for letting you stay. Everybody's at risk but if we'd denied a favour to the Alliance we'd have looked suspicious. You'll be perfectly fine, just don't draw attention to yourself. And besides, you work in section B, there's no ships from the Earth Alliance anyway. The odds you'll run into one of their soldiers is slim enough already."

"Oi." Murrue grumbled, shoving her hands deeper into her pockets and striding off towards her department.

The day seemed to pass incredibly slowly, she was on edge for the first few hours she worked. She couldn't help it, casting quick glances around as if she was scared of being watched. Finally the whistle rang, signalling for a lunch break.

Breathing a loud sigh of relief she hopped down from her post, tossing her soiled gloves into her locker before swapping her work jacket with her favourite red one from home. Tying the sleeves around her waist she idly wondered where to get lunch today. 'I didn't bring anything... Hmm, maybe I'll go out for once.'

She was lost in thought and wasn't paying attention to where she was going when her shoulder hit square with another's, sending them both staggering to the side in surprise. "Oh!" Murrue gasped, alarmed at what had happened and annoyed at her own lack of thought. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"

"No problem, neither was I." The young woman replied with a bell-like laugh, her turquoise eyes sparkling with amusement as she brushed herself off.

That was when Murrue froze, eyes widening in horror as she noticed just what the woman was wearing. She wore neat flexible blue jeans, an infinity necklace showing through her open collar, a white tanktop and a jacket. But Murrue realized immediately with the colours just who she was. The jacket was incredibly familiar, a standard Earth Alliance uniform. 'Oh god. Oh god no!'

The woman blinked, startled for a second by the flash of fear in the brunette's eyes. She idly pulled a lock of spun golden blond hair behind her ear, cocking her head to the side for a moment. Her own eyes flashed with recognition and she became very calm. "Sorry about that."

Murrue saw the recognition in the blond's eyes and immediately took an impulsive step backwards, heart hammering wildly in her ribcage, beating a tattoo against her skin. Her mind was screaming orders for her to run, but her body was frozen, rooted to the spot. She managed to whisper back, hating the fact that her fear was so obvious, "Not a problem..."

The blond beamed, smile full of friendliness but for an odd reason it didn't meet her suddenly blank turquoise eyes. She extended her hand politely and asked casually, "Um sorry, but what's your name?"

"M-Maria." Murrue stammered, almost forgetting her own alias for a split second, completely caught off guard by the cheerfulness. "My name is Maria, Maria Berns."

"Pleasure..." She said cheerfully, extending her hand to shake and hesitantly the brunette reached out and shook. She released her hand quickly, the cheeriness gone from her eyes but not her face when she said quietly and calmly, "You look more like a 'Murrue' to me."

Murrue froze, eyes widening in sheer horror and her hands clenched to fists at her sides. She wanted to run but couldn't move, just stood there, panic rushing through her bloodstream. Fighting angrily to keep her composure she managed, "S-Sorry?"

"I know who you are." The blond answered with a little chirp, not the least surprised by the brunette's panic. She tilted her head to the side again, examining the brunette with surprisingly searching eyes. She continued with no hint of stress, talking as if it was the most casual thing in the world, "And what you're thinking is right, I _am_ and Alliance soldier. Murrue Ramius, that's your name. A lieutenant, before your promotion, right? Named captain of the ArchAngel after all your superiors died in Heliopolis. Went MIA in Alaska, right after Josh-A..." She looked surprised at herself, apparently oblivious to Murrue's sheer horror and said with a little laugh, "Whoops where are my manners... I'm Rin. Rin La Flaga."

Murrue didn't think she had it in her to be more surprised, but it happened and she was left stuttering. "Wha-Wha-What?!" Her mind got a hold of itself and quickly slapped some common sense into her. Eyes narrowing and forcing herself to remain calm, she quickly told herself that it'd be easy to lie to get her trust and she wouldn't cave that easily. She said quietly and as frigidly as she could, "You've got me confused with someone else."

The blond grinned widely, not the least bit swayed by the woman's fierce icy tone. "Oh I think I don't." She chirped again, eyes flashing with real brightness, "Actually I'm very sure I don't. Wow, I'm surprised at my good luck... I come here trying to find the legged ship to track down some information about a certain person's whereabouts and I run smack into the woman who could give me all the answers I need! That's certainly some good luck."

"You've really gotten me confused with someone else, sorry to disappoint you but I'm not this 'Murrue Ramius' woman you keep talking about." Murrue said as calmly as she could, willing her heart to stop racing and her palms to stop being suddenly very clammy. She was breathing deeply to calm herself, hands still clenched into fists.

"Heh, I understand why you're trying to lie, but I'm not wrong. I _know_ for a fact that I'm not." Rin replied casually, her smile beginning to be tainted with just a hint of smugness. The gesture surprised Murrue, and her smirk grew. Rin leaned in a little, as if to share a secret, and added, "My brother's never lied to me before. You might as well quit the charade, I'm not going to leave you alone until you accept the fact that I'm Mu's little sister."

Murrue blinked. She really had no idea what to say to that. Forcing herself to remain calm and stubborn, she bit off harshly, "I'll believe you when you can prove your little fairytale." She turned around and began to walk away.

Rin sighed, running her hand over her face in exasperation. "Well, you asked for it..." Pausing for a few minutes for thought, she finally called after the retreating brunette, "LeAnn." The brunette stopped abruptly in her tracks but didn't turn, and Rin smiled. "That's your middle name." Very slowly the brunette turned, though her expression was incredibly guarded. Knowing she'd need more proof, Rin added to the facts slowly, as if unsure of her memory, "A necklace... You had a coffin-shaped pendant that you would wear, it had a red rose engraved on it, with RIP written on the back... It was a necklace you wore for your old boyfriend, I think he was a mobile armour pilot, he died almost four or five years ago."

'The only people who knew about _him_ was Mu, Erica, and maybe Kira... I kept _him_ secret from mostly everyone. How in the world could she figure that out?' Murrue's eyes narrowed a fair bit, not sure what exactly to say but she wasn't going to give up anything until she was absolutely certain. There was just too much riding on the line for her to easily believe the blond. "Really now?"

"Oi vey, you will not come along easy." Rin grumbled, rubbing her face again, struggling to remember something personal that only her brother would know. "Um let's see... Your favourite colour is red, coincidentally Mu's favourite colour as well... Roses, that's your favourite flower." She noticed Murrue didn't look the least bit fazed and sighed. "You don't care how much I know about you, do you? You want proof that Mu was my brother." She paused to deliberate and then looked as though she found something, but her face became stone, eyes deadened suddenly. "The fire."

Murrue didn't speak though her entire body tensed. 'Mu... He looked so pained when he spoke about it... Wait.' She paused as well, thinking back to when he explained about how he lost his parents and home in that fire. 'That's when he mentioned...'

"_It was a pretty terrible fire... A few 'servants' died as well in the blaze... It was horrible... I woke up to screaming and the only thing I could think about was getting myself and my little sister to safety. Somehow I didn't get burned, and she was safe too. That was all that mattered."_

"_You have a little sister?"_

"_Yeah, we haven't seen each other in ages, she's been in Alaska for as long as I can remember, training to be a pilot like me... We keep in contact through email and occasional video messages. We meet when we can."_

"There was a fire, I'm very sure Rau set it to the home. I woke him up by screaming for him... Mu came in and saved me, we jumped through the first story window. Luckily we got out without injury... He saved my life." Rin said quietly, voice weak and tight, eyes narrowed but still hard as stone. She met Murrue's started eyes and said fiercely, "You tell me again I'm lying. I dare you."

"Nobody could lie about that." Murrue replied weakly, finally letting her suspicion go in the face of the blond's ferocity of the memory. The woman's posture, expression, tone, everything revealed honesty. She nearly felt relieved. 'A link to him besides Bryan... A family member. Finally...' Wanting to know more, to get to know the woman who knew her lover probably better than she did, she suddenly asked, "Will you have lunch with me?"

"Eh?"

"There's a little café near here, excellent burgers. Will you come with me?" Murrue repeated her question, suddenly grinning from ear to ear, sincere to a fault. "We can talk."

"Oh."

* * *

"So," Rin popped a french fry into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully as she watched the brunette watching her, "I guess you're wondering most why the hell I'm here?" Murrue only had to nod and Rin grinned, tying her hair back into a neat ponytail, her bangs falling over the left side of her face and she quickly tucked them behind her ear. "Well I think we should play twenty questions. I'd like some answers too."

"That sounds fair enough.," Murrue agreed, liking the woman's naturally cheerful and bubbly personality right from the start. She was delightfully eccentric, her bubbly attitude made everyone smile and she was naturally friendly. She couldn't help but smile around her. "Alright, since I'm treating you, I'm asking first..." She took a sip of her cream soda, debating her questions. Finally she asked, unconsciously toying with her straw, "Alright, if you weren't here to find me, what were you here to do?"

"I was following a rumour about the ArchAngel." Rin answered without missing a beat, taking a small bite out of her hamburger, chewing slowly as if to debate what to add to her answer. After chasing it down with another sip of her cola she added, "I heard it was in ORB, I figured it was the best place to continue my search of sorts... And yes, I was searching for someone, I doubt you don't know the answer."

"Mu." Murrue murmured, voice tight as she lowered her eyes to the table. Her chest ached and she thought hopelessly, 'What do I say to her? How can I tell her he gave his life for mine? She doesn't even know me.'

Rin noticed the pained expression and her eyes mirrored the sorrow, her smile becoming thin and weak. She sighed and shook her head, bangs coming loose by the movement. She muttered weakly, "I kind of figured that much when he suddenly stopped returning my emails..." She asked hesitantly, almost as if she didn't want to know the answer, "H-How...? I... I need to know."

Murrue took a deep breath and began to explain about the events from Alaska and on. She described Mendel slowly, not sure if Rin would like what she heard, but to her surprise Rin only made a snorting sound of disdain at the mention of Rau but never interrupted. She described Jachin Due with a pained tone, but for the woman's sake she didn't leave out any details. She ended her explanation with a soft, "He died saving the life of the crew and me. He gave his life for us."

Whatever she had expected of the blond for a reaction, it certainly wasn't this. Rin had bowed her head, shoulders shivering, but she wasn't crying, she was laughing. "Oh wow... Oh my god..." She raised her heard, smiling broadly, very amused. She could tell her reaction startled Murrue and explained apologetically, "Sorry but... He died laughing. That's so... So like him. He died laughing, defying the world, making the... Well, making the impossible possible. That's exactly how he'd have wanted to go. He's probably so proud of himself the egotistical jerk..." Her smile became wane, painful. "I kind of knew in my heart he was gone but... I never wanted to admit it, I held onto that insane hope... It's a bit of a blow hearing it confirmed."

"I'm sorry I can't tell you that he's still here." Murrue murmured apologetically, meaning the words with such intensity it surprised her. "I really am."

"It's okay." Rin answered honestly, reaching across the table to gently place her hand on top of Murrue's in a comforting gesture. "At least I know for certain now, that's better than never knowing and always wondering. There was never an official report because the ArchAngel was a runaway, so I just never found out... And I'm glad you've told me." Her smile was so bright and completely truthful that Murrue had no trouble in returning it. "Alright then, you're turn again."

"Hmm, I'll need a minute." Murrue deliberated about what to ask, but there were so many questions she wanted to know about Mu, it was difficult to pick one. "Hm... Okay here's one, how exactly did you recognize me? If you've never really seen me before, how did you know?"

"Mu sent me letters through the entire time he was onboard the ArchAngel." Rin replied with a little grin, thinking of the many emails they had exchanged in the months they'd been apart. "He was exceptionally accurate when he described you, that and he enclosed a picture so I'd know who you were in case we ever met. Still gotta say, he caught a very beautiful woman." she winked when Murrue blushed and laughed. Her voice softened, fondness creeping in when she spoke, "He really loved you, I got that much from his first few letters about you... He'd prattle on like a lovesick schoolboy whenever he'd mention you, which was often... He was so happy... That made me happy. I'd never seen him like that in all the years I've been beside him, you have no idea how much that meant to me... To see him like that, it was like somebody had flipped a switch." She was blushing a fair bit and continued awkwardly, "I wanted to have my chance to thank you. To thank you for making him so happy, even if it was for a short period of time. It meant the world to see him like that."

Murrue blushed to her ears, both extremely startled and extremely pleased to hear that from Rin. She swore her face was on fire, she never had blushed this hard before. Mumbling awkwardly and looking at her lap she replied, "You don't really need to thank me... He was the one who made _me_ happy."

"Nonetheless, girl." Rin replied with a wink and another one of her bell-like laughs. She suddenly looked quite worried and asked hastily, "Do you mind him telling me all of those personal details? I mean, I didn't want to be intruding before, it was just you were so damn stubborn..."

"You used up one of your questions." Murrue teased, grinning from ear to ear, completely giddy. It was such a change from the usual melancholy that just infested her inner workings, it had been ages since she had laughed. "And no Rin, I don't mind... It all worked out for the good, now didn't it?" Rin smiled back and Murrue asked her own this time, "So, where've you been living? I notice you're a pilot and an Alliance soldier, so I'm assuming Alaska still."

Rin shrugged idly, and answered very vaguely, "Around." Murrue gave her a faux-scowl and she grinned in reply before explaining, "I'm not really an Alliance soldier, I've been with Terminal since the beginning really... Erica's been a longtime friend of mine, she actually invited me here... She got me an apartment while I do my digging, and I think I'll be staying around... And yes, I'm a pilot, testing the Windam but I'm also in line to pilot a Murasame full-time..." A sharp ringing cut her off and she looked down at the slim green cell-phone that was lying on the table.

"Yours?"

"Yeah." Rin opened the phone with a flick, and held it to her ear, saying calmly, "Rin." She winced and drew away from the phone with a grimace. "Ow..." Murrue shot her a bewildered look and Rin shook her head, mouthing 'Never mind.' Rin grumbled into the phone, "God dammit Simmons, you've made me deaf in my ear." She paused, listening to the heated reply before looking very surprised. "What do you mean I'm late?" she looked down at her watch and then looked very surprised. "Oh."

Murrue looked down at her own watch and jumped in surprise, having not expected time to have flown so quickly, they were indeed almost an hour late for their shifts. She looked back at the blond who was grumbling something fierce and then she noticed with another jolt she had said 'Simmons'.

"Yeah, yeah, I was just talking to Murrue and we lost track of–" Rin stopped abruptly and her eyes widened when she realized her blunder. "Oh shit."

From across the table, even Murrue heard Erica's angry yell through the tiny speaker on the cellphone. Rin winced and pulled a few inches away from the phone, still able to clearly hear Erica's angry exclamations. Rin grimaced, took the phone away from her ear and looked apologetically at Murrue before saying weakly, "She wants to talk to you."

'Oh god.' Murrue had half a mind to jump out of her seat and run, but she knew Erica would catch up with her in the end. And Erica knew where she lived. Hesitantly, she took the phone from Rin and pressed it to her ear, weakly mumbling, "Hello?"

"_You are so lucky I'm not there right now or I'd have my hands around your neck Ramius."_ Murrue flinched and Rin pulled an apologetic grimace before slouching down as if to hide. _"I said 'don't draw attention to yourself' and you bloody went missing! How is that not drawing attention to yourself!? And you're with Rin of all people?! Do you have any idea how suspicious that looks?! She's Earth Alliance! You've got the entire crew up in arms about if you've been kidnapped or not!"_

Murrue winced again, knowing everything Erica was saying was right, she probably had scared the living hell out of everybody, including her boss. All she could manage was a very meek, "Sorry."

Erica exhaled, a loud angry sound and she grumbled ferociously, _"I can kill you later, right now I really wanna kill the blond sitting across the table from you. Put La Flaga back on the phone."_

Murrue paused, taken aback by the order and the casual use of Rin's last name. She held the phone for a second, shook her head and asked hastily, "Wait a second, how do you know Rin's last name?"

"_I met her ages ago, we've been friends for years. We go a long way back, how else do you think she got here without being noticed?"_

Shaking her head Murrue handed the phone back to Rin and after a few minutes of hasty conversation and many rushed apologies, Rin finally hung up. She scowled playfully at Murrue and muttered, "You never told me how dangerous it'd be talking to you. Erica nearly killed me."

"Sorry... She's fairly protective." Murrue murmured apologetically, but it was very true. Erica had been her shadow for months, ever since she had gotten pregnant. The thought made her freeze. 'Rin doesn't know yet.' "Um... Rin, I think there's something you really need to know."

"Hm?" Rin looked interested and faintly suspicious when Murrue made her remark. "Sure, what is it?"

"I... Mu, I mean..." Murrue stumbled across her words, not really sure how to suddenly tell the blond she was an aunt. "Well, you see..." Involuntarily she began wringing her hands, chewing her lower lip anxiously as she tried to sort out her words. Finally she murmured, "Mu and I... We were very close. And well... I found out that I was... He has a son."

Rin's eyes widened and she became very stiff as the words hit her full force. She had no reply, and Murrue wouldn't have been startled if the poor woman's jaw dropped.

Murrue was shocked when she saw a ingle silver tear suddenly trickle down the woman's pale face. "Oh!" She immediately began to worry she had said something wrong and hastily apologized. "Oh I'm so sorry, did I say something wrong? I should have said it better!"

Rin shook her head, as if to tell her she hadn't said anything wrong. She took a deep breath, reaching up to gently brush the tear away. She mumbled quietly, as if in a trance, "An aunt... I'm a... I'm an aunt..." Her eyes widened and she took a very deep breath to steady her nerves. She suddenly said out of nowhere, as if it was a reflexive action to make a joke, "Well there goes my youth right out the fucking window." She looked back at Murrue, as if still digesting the information and asked, dazed, "Are you serious? I'm an... I'm an aunt? Mu had a son?"

Murrue smiled and nodded, voice very happy as she thought of her son. "Yes. You're an aunt. He had a son." She corrected herself idly, "We have a son."

Rin didn't know why she did it, but the tears came and she bowed her head as they began to trickle down her cheeks and into her lap. "I'm sorry." She sobbed, shoulders shivering as she hugged herself instinctively as she continued to cry. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why I'm doing this..." Sniffling, she brushed her tears away, and looked back up at Murrue before asking hesitantly, "Can I meet him? Would you mind if I did?"

"No of course not. We already blew work, you might as well meet him now." Murrue answered with a grin, getting to her feet and placing a few bills on the table. "C'mon then."

"Alright!"

**AN**

**Lol, sorry but it got too long. It does give you something to look forward to though for the next chapter. And I promise, there will be so much fluff I'll knock your socks off XD Including the baby fluff, Murrue can see the letters, that is if the readers behave XD Lmao, drop a review my way and we'll see you next time!**

**Sky**


	5. Chapter 4

Rin hesitantly peeked around the corner, not sure whether or not she should even be looking. She quickly danced back when she saw Murrue with the baby in her arms, quickly getting out of her way. Murrue grinned, and set the boy down once they reached the living room.

Rin was startled when the boy crawled to his mother's side, awkwardly making himself sit up as he began to toy with her pantleg. She said softly, "Crawling already, huh? I bet you can't keep up with him..."

"He stays glued to my side most of the time, but when he does take off he goes." Murrue remarked, gently ruffling her son's hair before picking him up so he'd sit on her lap. He giggled and babbled, patting her arms and smiling at her. Laughing at this she touched noses with him and cooed, "Wanna see your Auntie Rin?"

"I'm really going to have to get used to that." Rin said weakly, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she watched the little boy somehow slide from the couch and begin to crawl around, babbling to himself. "He's a handsome little man..."

"Just like his daddy." Murrue added with a smile, watching Bryan the entire time. The scamp was already known to get into quite a bit of trouble, you had to keep a keen eye on him. "Though he has these green eyes..."

"Mom." Rin said immediately, without really thinking. She blinked, startled by how she had reflexively said that, and promptly blushed and drew back sheepishly. "Sorry... Green eyes, my mom... She had green eyes."

Murrue noticed how she impulsively shied away from the topic, and decided she could ask questions when they got to know each other better. "Green eyes... They suit him... He'll be one looker when he's older, that's for sure."

"Just like Mu." Rin grinned affectionately, remembering her brother in his teenage years, how attractive the girls had found him. "He'll grow up to be a carbon copy of the guy... Mind the green eyes."

Murrue shifted uncomfortably at the remark, looking down at her lap. "Um... I don't want to sound possessive or anything but um... Just how attractive was your brother back in the day?"

"Very." Rin answered before stopping short and peering strangely at the nervous woman. "Wait, are you worried he had a load of girlfriends?" Murrue didn't need to answer, Rin quickly read the expression in her eyes and started to giggle, beaming. "You don't need to worry." Rin told her affectionately, winking playfully. "I told you, I'd never seen Mu as happy as he was with you. He was a loner type back at the Academy... Very attractive, I'm his sister and I can say that." She crinkled her nose, pulling a face before adding, "But he wouldn't let people close. It's just how he was."

Murrue nearly sighed with relief, but her mind wasn't exactly calm. Finally she managed to say weakly, "If you say so..."

"If you don't believe me, these should change your mind." Rin said with a grin, rummaging in her purse before she pulled out a sheaf of papers. She handed the papers to Murrue, before relaxing back in the couch to watch.

Murrue watched her pick Bryan up and begin to play with him to distract the boy while his mother read the letters. Murrue asked absentmindedly as she took the first one in her hands, "Are they all sorted?"

"Yeah, by date I received them. They're all in time, don't worry. Some of them are me and him chatting on a messenger program... My stuff is in italics mind you..." Rin replied just as absently, enjoying how her nephew seemed fascinated by her blond hair. "Just read."

Murrue picked up the third letter in the pile, flicking down his words before she stopped abruptly at the mention of Josh-A. 'This was when we came back to ORB then... After our...'

**I kissed her today. Yeah, yeah, don't tell me that I'm going to go into some long rant, because you're gonna have to listen to all of it anyway sis. It was pretty amazing actually, she's a great kisser...**

Murrue blushed to the roots of her hair when she read that line, nearly dropping the paper. For some odd reason her heart was racing again, as if she was there in the bridge again, held tight in his arms while he kissed her for the first time. She brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear and thought shyly, 'He wasn't too bad either...'

Faintly embarrassed but very intrigued, she discarded that letter and went to another, written later during the war. She could tell immediately by the neat script chosen for the font it was Rin's reply to one of his letters.

_I'm so happy that you told her you loved her. It was about time after listening to all of your rambling. I knew you were head over heels for her before you probably knew it, you big dork. But I'm happy for you all the same. And she said she loved you too, that's great news. She sounds like a real sweetheart Mu, I'm glad for both of you... It was probably a great night, eh?_

_I'm joking, I don't want to know all the details, that's for you to take to the grave. I told you that you didn't have to worry about that whole "former boyfriend" thing, a girl always knows. She already made the choice to let the chips fall where they may when she let you kiss her all the way back in ORB. And it looks to me like she's very happy with where they fell... _

_Though I'm going to caution ya, though I bet you already know, she's not going to want you to fight in that battle that's coming up Mu. Hell... I don't want you to fight either. I know there's no point trying to reason with you, you're going to fight whether or not I tell you not to, so I won't ask. And I doubt she will either. Just make sure you come back for both our sakes, okay? Take care out there, don't be too reckless and for god's sake, stay the hell away from Creuset, alright? Somebody else will kick his ass, it doesn't have to be you. Be careful._

_Rin_

Murrue looked over the letter again in surprise, before glancing up at Rin. The blond was busy with Bryan, giggling and laughing as he played with her hair, the little boy beaming happily. 'How did she...' She smiled wryly, knowing it was best not to puzzle over that forever. 'She's got a very keen intuition, though for some reason, that doesn't surprise me...'

Setting that one down, she picked up the next letter, which was the last one in the small pile.

**Rin,**

**Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful, though I can't promise you I'll stay away from Creuset, somebody needs to kill him and I'd rather it's me who does it... After what he put the kid through in Mendel... It brought up a lot of painful memories. And I want to be the one to shoot him down, so it's going to be me. **

**On a lighter note... I've got something I need to tell you, it's been driving me up the wall having to keep it a secret from everybody. We stopped at this place to resupply and such... And while I was there, I went into the city. Don't start lecturing me on being safe, I had something more important in mind...**

**I bought Murrue a ring. Yeah, I wanna propose to her after the end of the war. Right now the ring is on its way to your old place in Alaska, I figured it was better than leaving it here for her to find in case I... Well, in case I didn't come back. And I've been making some decisions with the final battle coming up so quickly and I want you to do me some big favours in case I don't make it back home.**

**First, find her. She'll probably be in ORB once all the hell settles down, I want you to find her and give her the ring yourself. Second, watch out for her, she has a lot of friends that she won't admit exist, and they'll all take care of her, but I want to be sure I've got somebody I've known forever watching out for her for me... And third... If she's happy, don't interfere with her life. I know you'll probably be red and pissed if she ended up being married to another Joe and raising a family, don't ruin that for her. Tell her who you are, offer her the ring, if she doesn't want it, don't make her take it. If she doesn't take it, you can keep it I guess, wear it to remember me better, eh?**

**You be happy too. Do things for yourself, get outta Alaska and move on with your life, be a pilot, fuck up the world, just don't get depressed because I'm gone. Kay? I love you, and hopefully I'll meet you back in Alaska soon after this all ends. **

**Love,**

**your big brother Mu.**

Murrue slowly folded up the letters and took a deep breath to calm her suddenly motoring heart. She looked at Rin, noticing the blond's intense turquoise eyes hadn't left her face for quite awhile. Bryan was still seated in her lap, but Rin's attention was for Murrue alone.

Taking another deep breath, Murrue asked shakily,"There's a ring?"

"It arrived at my old place about three months ago, I just got it... I moved out of Alaska after the end of the war, I've been travelling in the military ever since, ergo why it took so long for me to get it." Rin replied, rummaging through her small cream purse before picking out a small blue box. She smiled weakly, reached over and awkwardly handed it to Murrue. "I meant to follow every single thing he told me in that letter... If you want it, it's yours of course."

"I do want it." Murrue murmured weakly, holding the box tightly, unsure whether or not to open it. Finally she popped it open and gasped abruptly, eyes widening at the ring inside. It was simple, a silver band topped with an elegant triangular cut diamond. And peeking out from the corner of the box was a folded piece of paper. Pretending she didn't notice that, she plucked the ring from its hold and with shaking hands slid it onto her ring finger of her left hand.

It fit perfectly.

"I had a sneak peek at it, I thought it'd look great on you..." Rin said quietly, watching the brunette staring at the ring with something close to a bittersweet happiness. She smiled gently and continued in that gentle tone, "I'm going to keep my word to him, that is if you want me to. Erica's been trying to convince me to stay here in ORB... And there is an apartment she's been looking at for me..."

"I want you to be a part of Bryan's life." Murrue said gently, smiling warmly at the startled blond. She hadn't missed how Bryan clung onto her, how much he enjoyed her attention, it made her smile. "He already loves you... I want you to be there when he's growing up. I'd like you to stay in ORB... For him if not for anything else."

Rin blushed a fair bit, looking down at the little boy in her lap who was still playing with his toes, giggling and laughing, apparently oblivious to the seriousness of the conversation. She cleared her throat and said weakly, "He made me swear to do three things for him, and if God hates me for it so be it. I'll stay, not just for this little wee one..." She kissed the crown of her nephew's hair before looking back up, "And I'll stay for you too. I'm going to keep my promise for his memory, even if it kills me."

* * *

"Erica's going to kill you, you know." Murrue remarked, peeking into the room where Bryan was currently sleeping before walking back into the kitchen, Rin right on her heels. "She'll be very mad at you when you tell her you're already moving into that apartment."

"She'll be pissed off at you, not me." Rin told her primly, smirking behind her mug as she sipped her coffee sparingly. She was grinning when she set it down, continuing cheerfully, "After all, you're the one who convinced me to stay in the first place."

Murrue grinned despite herself, very amused by Rin's comment even though she was right. She still found it hard to believe it had only really been three weeks since they had first met, they were already as good as sisters. Bryan was enchanted by her, he was prone to sneaking up around her somehow and grabbing her around the leg, hugging as tightly as he could manage. Rin found it adorable, Murrue joked about how it was going to eventually be the death of her, she'd fall down the stairs because of the tyke.

"Anyway, so I got that Murasame Erica's been offering me for the past few weeks." Rin told her, literally bouncing up and down in her chair, looking positively giddy. "I'm _ecstatic_!"

Murrue snorted, very very amused at Rin's flamboyant attitude towards piloting. The blond reminded her of a child at Christmas, it was downright hilarious. "Careful," She said mildly, setting the dishes in the sink as she watched Rin bounce, "you might break the chair, that thing's older than you are."

"Oh c'mon, it's the newest model of mobile suit yet!" Rin was still bouncing, though she was up and out of the chair. She really did seem like a sixteen year old instead of the twenty-six year old that she was. "I'm completely off the walls with it, that beauty is amazing!" Her face fell when she remembered the running joke in the factory and grumbled, "Erica and the rest of the techno-dork-squad are taking bets that I'm the first one to crash it."

"You're too much like your brother, that's why they're taking bets." Murrue told her with a bit of a smirk, knowing that Erica was just laughing about how hyper the blond was, there wasn't any bet going around. At least that she knew about. She turned around, her hot mug warming her hands now that she picked it up again, "If you're careful, you won't crash."

Rin looked alarmed by the question, then pulled a grimace as if Murrue was asking a forbidden question. "What's the point in piloting if you're being careful? That just sucks out all the fun."

Murrue shook her head, working hard to contain her laughter. Rin was incredibly reckless, one of the reasons she was such an ace in her field. But she was also most likely to get killed for being so reckless. "You really are Mu's little sister." Unable to resist, she poked Rin in the side and added, "Even Mu wasn't as reckless as you are. You're voted most likely to go down because you like to pull outrageous stunts."

"I do not." Rin stuck out her tongue and Murrue started to giggle. The younger woman smiled, knowing the brunette was absolutely right and Murrue knew it too. She did love to fly, it was the only thing that really made her feel free. "I love to fly." She said simply, beaming at the knowing look on her friend's face, "It's in my blood I guess."

"Hopefully it's not in Bryan's, god forbid I have another pilot on my hands. That's the last thing I want." Murrue grumbled, setting her now empty mug in the sink, fetching Rin's and setting it in too.

"The way he plays with that plane I'm betting he'll love to fly too." Rin commented, admiring the small blue toy Erica had given to the boy when he was old enough to start playing with it. And the boy never let it out of his grasp, he loved that plane. She leaned on the porcelain counter, commenting mildly, "You're going to have a hell of a time trying to take the flier out of that boy. It's probably in his blood too, Mu loved the sky."

"It's gonna be a cold day in hell before I let my boy get into the cockpit." Murrue snarled under her breath, hands curling into fists as she pictured the Strike exploding in front of the bridge again.

"Don't think too much about the future, you're gonna end up losing sight of what's important now if you do." Rin advised wisely, examining her nails with little interest before looking back up at Murrue. "Besides, you've got ages before your little boy even comes of age to be a pilot. And you don't ever have to let him near the academy anyway."

"I guess you're right..." Murrue sighed, running her hand through her hair, glancing up at the ceiling before back at the ring on her hand. 'It's surprising how used I've become to having this on my hand...' She added sourly, her thoughts back on the matter at hand, "Erica isn't helping at all."

"Erica doesn't mean to recruit your little boy, don't get paranoid. She isn't out to get you." Rin said with a little laugh, ruffling her friend's hair tenderly before winking playfully. "She's got me for now, one La Flaga is enough. Besides, Erica can barely handle me as it is, the _last_ thing she wants it somebody else with my last name."

"Touche..." Murrue murmured softly, smiling a little at Rin's attempt to cheer her up. "I bet that's totally true, you are a handful."

"Erica loves me, that's the only reason I'm still on the force." Rin said cheerily, looking very proud of herself. "I'm a pilot born at heart, and I love raising hell if I can get away with it. Erica only keeps me around because I have the guts to do what needs to be done, without complaining."

"Which is why I love you too." Murrue remarked, tossing her arm around Rin's shoulders, grinning. "You're a hothead sometimes, but you're reliable."

"Nice to know somebody thinks that way." Rin beamed. She suddenly looked thoughtful, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah, Erica asked me to ask you if you'd mind taking Bryan to work tomorrow."

Murrue looked at Rin with narrowed eyes and the blond gracefully danced back out of reach, looking very sheepish. Crossing her arms Murrue growled, "Erica asked, did she?"

"Do you think I wanna be in the same room with you when this topic is breached?" Rin asked nervously, ready to hide behind the door if need be, she knew Murrue had a very violent way of protecting her son. "Erica made me ask. She said all the girls have been whining about it, they wanna see him."

"No." Murrue said firmly, not pausing for a second to deliberate. "There is _no way_ I'm bringing him to work." Rin pulled a puppy-dog face and Murrue jumped when she turned around to see it, immediately seeing Mu in the expression. Shaking her head quickly she turned around again and repeated, "No."

"Oh c'mon, Erica will kill me if I come back empty-handed." Rin whined, still pouting as she peeked around Murrue so the woman could see she meant it. "Please? It doesn't even need to be the whole day, just for an hour at least."

"I said no." Murrue grumbled, edging away from the blond, mentally kicking herself for crumbling at the look. "What is it with you and your brother and that puppy look? It doesn't work!"

"Oh yes it does, you're crumbling." Rin grinned, knowing Murrue was close to just giving up so she could get some peace of mind. "Please?"

"No dammit!"

"C'mon, you know you wanna."

"I do not!"

"He'd love it."

"No!"

"Please?"

"NO!"

"You're so going to end up doing this."

"Wanna bet?"

* * *

"I hate you." Murrue growled for the thirteenth time under her breath, glaring out the car window as Rin's sleek blue convertible pulled into the parking lot. "I'm going to kill you when I get out of this."

"That's the third time you've said that." Rin laughed, completely unafraid and unconcerned as she slid elegantly from the car, moving to the back to unstrap Bryan from the carseat. She picked up the boy, pretending to grunt under his weight. "Yeesh Bry, eight months, you're getting big!"

Bryan laughed, before squirming around to see his mother. He immediately squirmed some more, lifted his arms and squealed excitedly, "Momma!"

"Okay, okay!" Murrue hurried around and picked him up, cradling him expertly, nuzzling noses with the boy. He giggled, patting her cheek and squealing as she tickled him.

"He's too cute for his own good. The girls are going to go crazy and steal him." Rin remarked, hoisting Bryan's bag over her shoulder, kicking the car door shut with no effort. "C'mon, Erica's waiting."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes you do."

**AN**

**Heehee, the rest of the visit comes next chapter XD Sorry bout the little bit of angst, but knowing Mu, he probably would have had a backup plan in case he didn't come back. And of course Rin is going to keep her promise in his memory, Bryan's gonna have a very loving aunt! XD**

**Sky**


	6. Chapter 5

"Aw, there's the cutie!"

Murrue resisted the great urge to roll her eyes and pasted a smile on her face as Erica and the rest of the group hurried forwards. Rin was snickering at her side but at least her presence was comforting as the crowd of women suddenly just consumed the two women.

Murrue somehow managed to convince them that he couldn't leave her arms, and despite the good amount of whining at that the group was rather controlled. Bryan behaved excellently, giggling and laughing, looking around with wide happy eyes. It seemed like forever but finally the group of women dispersed, leaving only Erica behind.

"Sorry but they were all _very_ anxious." Erica apologized wearily, peeking around to make sure _all_ of the women were gone. When she was satisfied she smiled and then caught the scowl on Murrue's face. Palming her own, she grumbled through her fingers, "Don't look at me like that Murrue, it'd have happened anyway."

"Gah."

Rin snickered, busying herself with shrugging out of her work jacket and tying it around her waist. She stretched lazily, and asked just as tiredly, "So Erica, where did you put my suit? I wanna see it."

"One track mind." Erica grumbled under her breath, and she peeked over her shoulder to see Murrue was grinning. She turned around to lead the blond down to the lower area of the factory where her suit was waiting and the two followed obediently. 'Well at least Rin can make her smile, that's good news...'

"So you closed this part down for today?" Murrue asked conversationally, switching Bryan to her other arm, noticing how he was squirming slightly so he could see everything at once. "Or is it just a coincidence?"

"It was a holiday for this section." Erica replied just as casually, knowing Murrue didn't ever want any special treatment, she'd throw a fit if she found out the section had been closed just because of Bryan. The workers didn't complain about having a day off, she didn't know why Murrue would complain. She reached a wall, typed in a five-digit code and the massive metal doors hissed open.

Rin peeked in, and her face lit up like a child at a candy store. She immediately took off towards the massive machine, wearing the brightest grin Murrue had ever seen on the blond. She was laughing, grinning, completely giddy. "It's massive!"

"Yes, yes it is." Erica said wearily, turning to look at Murrue who was staring in awe at the mobile unit. She laughed, amused by the brunette's reaction. "You helped me design the suit, why are you so shocked?"

"It's just... I didn't expect..." Murrue stammered, not sure what to say. The original design she had helped with, yes, but she didn't think she'd ever see the blueprints make it past production stage. There were two units standing side by side, the first was the original, the orange armour and all, the second was faintly different. "The second one, it looks different."

"The first variant." Erica explained, watching Rin stare at the second with something very close to great affection. She snickered. "It's still in its testing stage, Rin demanded she gets first shot at it... Hence the green armour, it's her trademark... Her Windam likewise had the green tint in its front armour... She likes green?"

"She seems to like it in general." Erica commented with a smirk, knowing just how much Rin had wanted to have her own mobile suit. "I figured she'd be happy, I'm surprised she hasn't kissed me yet." Grinning when Murrue snickered, she admired her handiwork and mused aloud, "Doesn't she look like a schoolgirl with her first love?"

"She does. It's kinda cute." Murrue remarked with a little laugh, shifting Bryan to her other arm before noticing the little boy had grown very still. Looking down in concern she noticed his wide emerald eyes were focussed on the mobile suit, his hands reaching as if he wanted it. "Oh!"

"Looks like he wants to see it." Erica commented with another little snicker, before cocking her head in a gesture towards the Murasame. "Go on Murrue, let him touch it."

Hesitantly Murrue walked towards the machine, noticing he was growing increasingly restless the closer they got. Finally she was close enough for him to touch and he reached out with both hands, resting them on the cool metal. She noticed with a start his face was completely serious for a few long moments, and then he burst into a laughing grin.

Rin beamed at his behaviour, leaning back onto her own suit's leg. She noticed how worried Murrue seemed, almost horrified by her son's behaviour and she commented idly, "Don't worry Murrue, he just likes the shiny things."

"He's a La Flaga." Murrue murmured softly, watching Bryan gazing at his own reflection, his hands still resting on the metal, his serious expression back. "Born flier, isn't that what you said Rin?"

"Twas what I said, but it doesn't mean you need to let him." Rin said with a shrug, examining Bryan's expression. 'It's like he's channelling his dad... Mu always looked like that when he set his mind to something... Stubborn... I have a feeling he'll be the same.'

"No, if it's in him... I wouldn't be able to try to take it out of him." Murrue remarked gently, brushing her lips gently over his hair, watching him watching himself. "He's his father's son, that's for sure... And he won't change anytime soon."

"No, of course not." Erica said gently, noticing how her friend's eyes looked faraway, very distant. Concerned she leaned closer and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"I... I'm okay." Murrue answered after a moment of hesitation, noticing how Rin was eying her with disbelief etched in all over her face.

"Uh huh. So what's wrong?" Rin asked skeptically, crossing her arms and examining the nervous Murrue with raised eyebrows. "It's still early enough to catch Bryan before he starts to really get interested in piloting. You don't have to let him."

"It's who he is, just like how it's the same for you and Mu with piloting." Murrue said tiredly, hoisting her son closer to her, realizing she had been clutching him protectively to her. "I can't help what's in his genes."

"Though that's true..." Rin said slowly, watching the tired look in Murrue's face, she continued gently, "You just look resigned to whatever fate's coming to you. It doesn't look natural."

Murrue just shrugged, looking as though she really didn't care. She finally muttered under her breath, "Fate's out of my hands."

"You sound like you're giving up."

"Rin." Erica said sharply, eyes narrowing a little in reproach. "Step off."

Rin shrugged, and Murrue looked away. There was a tense silence following Erica's words. Finally Murrue sighed heavily and murmured quietly, "I'm sorry... I'm just really tired."

"Well I'm not having any of that." Erica said sharply, now turning her gaze to Murrue who jumped a little in surprise, Rin basically jumped to nod her agreement. "You know better Murrue."

"I can switch my shifts to watch Bryan." Rin volunteered immediately, noticing Erica shot a glance at Murrue. "And Erica can help. You can't be spending all your energy on him sweetie, you need a chance to rest."

"I know, it's just..." Murrue's protests faded out to a dull grumble, knowing the girls were completely right. 'I just feel a bit... Useless getting help from them... I thought I could handle being a single mother, it's just a lot harder than it looks...'

* * *

_9 Months_

Murrue sighed contentedly, stretching out comfortably on the couch. Rolling her shoulders back, she looked up at the ceiling enjoying her time to relax. She looked up at the clock, noticing the time. 'Wow, it's only been an hour since Rin took Bryan off my hands? Wow, it's seemed like three...'

Stretching lazily again she picked up her novel, the silence somehow comfortable. Bryan had become quite the handful, but Rin never complained about babysitting, she loved it. The little boy was quite the scamp, he could crawl faster than anyone even thought possible, and he was already babbling like mad, learning words as fast as he was learning to walk.

She found her mind wandering, losing focus of her novel again. She laughed at herself, curling into a ball in the sunlight, quickly becoming warm again. 'Hmm...'

Like normal her mind began to wander back to her times on the ArchAngel, back to _him_, just like it always did. She smiled. Normally she resisted the memories, tried to think of something else... But lately, having more spare time had its advantages, and her mind began to drift...

"_Mm... I have to go..."_

"_Do you need to go already?" He asked with a bit of a pout in his voice, pressing tiny kisses to her bare shoulders to incline her to stay. "C'mon, your shift isn't for another hour, you don't need to yet..."_

"_Mu..." Murrue groaned, trying to twist out of his hold but he had her too firmly clasped against him, and she gave up shortly. Sighing in defeat, she quickly moved closer into the embrace again, his arms looping casually around her bare middle to tug her even more snugly to him. "You know you'd be better off kidnapping me and whisking me away to California or something. At least then nobody knows where we are and why we never bother to show up."_

"_Who cares what they think?" Mu grumbled, nuzzling into her neck until she giggled causing them both to move slightly so he was leaning over her. She smiled invitingly at him, and he took the hint, brushing his lips gently against hers._

"_Mmm..." Murrue sighed pleasurably, her slim legs having somehow found a way to wind with his, causing them both to be even more closer than before. She idly began to trace patterns on his broad chest, watching his eyes close and a lazy smile spread across his features. "I guess I can stay for a little bit longer..."_

"_How long is longer?" Mu asked suspiciously, opening one eye to stare at her and she started to giggle, hiding her face in his shoulder. "C'mon you," he drew away, pretending to look as serious as he could, "how long is longer?"_

"_A little bit longer." Murrue repeated playfully, hurriedly winding her arms around her shoulders and pulling him closer so her lips touched his ear. "Are you going to argue if I say I'm going to stay at all? Isn't that enough for you?"_

"_Not really." Mu grumbled back, but he let her have the last word, and the two settled close together again in the bed, holding onto their other tightly. He kissed her neck gently, muttering those sweet nothings she loved to hear when he held her so close. After a few long moments he asked quietly, "Will you run off with me when all this hell ends?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Run away with me." Mu told her again, all seriousness in his tone as she turned in his arms to look at him quizzically. "After the war. You and me, we can run off together, live in ORB, anywhere we want... Will you do it? Would you run off with me?"_

"_Mu..." Murrue regarded him with obvious surprise, having not expected this from him. "Run away with you?" She met his eyes, noticing the obvious sincerity and hope looming there, and despite herself, she smiled. The future had become a bit of a unmentionable subject between them lately, but... What was the point of never looking forward? "You're gonna ask me to run away with you?"_

"_I believe I just did." Mu answered her sweetly, grinning proudly and she giggled, giving him a swift peck on the cheek. "So," He brushed her bangs away from her face, eyes serious as they locked onto hers, "what's your answer?"_

"_Of course." Murrue answered swiftly, not bit of hesitation in her expression or tone. "Sure I'll run away with you. Mind you I don't think we'll get very far without getting caught but hey, I'll run as far as you want me to."_

'He looked so happy when I agreed to run with him.' Murrue thought with a little smile, idly uncurling herself to stretch like a cat in the sunlight. 'Though I doubt I could have ever said no to him... It's just how things went with him, I couldn't deny him anything... And his son is the same way. If he asks me 'up' with those big puppy-dog eyes of his, I can't resist...'

She stretched again, sighing comfortably when she began to curl into the couch again. 'Hm...' Closing her eyes again, she knew her daydreaming had just started as she began to drift once more.

"_Just promise me something." Murrue said fiercely, holding onto her lover's uninjured arm tightly. "That whatever you're going to do, you won't be stupid about it. He already hurt you once, I can't see it happen again."_

"_Murrue, somebody needs to take care of the bastard..." Mu growled, still not looking at her, eyes focussed on the stiff sheets of the Infirmary. His wounds ached slightly, telling him again that he was still injured and it was all Rau Le Creuset's doing._

"_Yes Mu, _somebody_." Murrue stressed the word, her grip on his good arm still not loosening. He still didn't look at her and she whispered, "Please, look at me." He slowly turned his head and she moved her hand quickly to rest on his cheek, her eyes burning with worry and love, "I don't care if you fight him again. I don't, as long as you come back to me in one piece. Don't be stupid, just come back." She felt the tears burning their way through the knot in her throat and asked hoarsely, "How are we going to run away together if you can't even make it back in one piece?"_

_Mu looked alarmed by the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes and he quickly brushed them away, the droplets wetting the bandages around his hand. Not caring he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her somewhat into his lap, nuzzling into her neck. He whispered huskily into her hair, "I'm going to come back Murrue. I won't be stupid, I remember what I asked you to do... We're going to run away together, I promise."_

"_You better keep your word." Murrue hiccupped softly, pulling away to dry her eyes on the back of her sleeve, shooting him the best scolding and firm look she could at the moment. "Or I'll go and kill you myself."_

"_I'll behave, love." Mu told her gently, hugging her closer, ignoring the shooting pain that rushed up his arm from the movement. "I'll behave..."_

'I should have said bullshit, but I was happy enough that he was promising me.' Murrue thought with a wry little smile, unconsciously beginning to twist her hair around her fingers. 'He always kept his word, no matter how much of a toll it took on him, it was just how he was... Hearing him promise was enough to calm me down. And he knew it just as well as I did...'

She smiled a little, glancing over at the wall where she had hung a two portraits. The first was the oldest, a picture of her holding the newborn Bryan, Erica had insisted on taking it despite all of her protesting. She looked tired, haggard, but incredibly happy, holding her sleeping son close, face shining with newfound maternal joy.

The second was new, a picture that she herself had wanted to take when she had seen Bryan playing with Rin. Rin had been horribly embarrassed but finally let in, Bryan was sitting on her shoulders, beaming as Rin flashed a wink and a peace sign at the camera, both looking as though they were having the time of their lives.

'She does look happy... And despite all her awkwardness, she really is in love with Bryan... She wants one of her own, everybody can see it.' Murrue smiled a bit, before turning her gaze to the small picture resting on the armrest beside her. She smiled again, softer, gentler this time.

'I never leave the house without it in my pocket, it's amazing it's in such good condition...' Murrue picked up the picture, stroking the glossy side with a little smile. It was one of the few pictures she had of him. Miriallia had insisted on taking a photo of the senior officers of the bridge, which somewhat had disastrously ended with both herself and the lieutenant at arms with the poor blond man.

He had decided that it would be funny to tug both women backwards just before the flash went off, landing them with a very amusing picture but with two very annoyed women. He had given her the finished picture as sort of an apology, and she'd kept it ever since.

The other pictures she had were hidden inside of her dresser, kept private for her own viewing only. The first was a picture he had really wanted to take, of both of them together in bed, and despite all of her protesting, he'd taken it. She as blushing fiercely, he was grinning proudly, and she loved the picture. The other was a group photo, once again at Miriallia's demand, of the pilots, and somehow she, Cagalli, Lacus and Miriallia had ended up in it as well.

She had finally taken that one out of her dresser and placed it on her bedside table, liking to wake up to the smiling faces of her friends. The crew had always been close, and they all did stay in touch still. It was nice.

She lay back comfortably on the couch, peering up at the ceiling as she pulled her legs to her chest, winding her arms around her knees. Still gazing at the ceiling she hummed a little melody, and smiled. 'Thank you Mu... Even though you're not here, I have your son with me, a constant reminder of how much of a pest you were... And I have your sister who's willing to jump when I say so... She's a blessing Mu.' She twirled the ring around her finger, smile growing broader. 'And I'm never taking this off... sorry to disappoint you love, but... This is staying on.'

**AN**

**Lol, had to end it nicely XD She happy to be remembering him, and she happy with the way her life is now, though she'll always miss him, it's good for her to smile at ze memories. (Grins and bounces a bit) Plz drop a review for meh if you can, and tomorrow's surgery day XD (random insert) See ya around!**

**Sky**


	7. Chapter 6

_Twenty-Two months_

"Bryan slow down!" Murrue called out, causing the pink-haired girl who was sitting beside her to start giggling. Not the least bit chagrined, Murrue sat up in her chair, marigold eyes narrowing a little. "Bryan!"

The little boy slowly skid to a stop, standing up proud and tall, grinning from ear to ear at his mother. He had grown, remarkably fast in a few short months. He was walking already, now running, talking and still being that little ray of sunshine. He ran along with the orphans, though he was always confused to why he could never keep up with them.

"He runs very fast... He's grown so much..." Lacus said gently, smiling as Murrue collapsed backwards with a groan. "Isn't he already talking?"

"Oh god yes he's talking." Murrue grumbled, placing her hand over her eyes, though there was no disguising her inner delight to this information. "He's so advanced, it's a little scary."

"You love it."

"Yes, I do." Murrue laughed, smiling a little as she peeked over her shoulder to see Kira sitting at the table, talking to Athrun. Cagalli was nowhere to be seen, and Lacus was enjoying the sunlight beside her, it was just one of those lazy summer days. Once again, Bryan had taken off like a rocket after the orphans. 'He's strong... Just like his daddy...'

She watched him chase after the ball, the orphans would toss it to him occasionally and he'd awkwardly kick it back, laughing happily. After a few minutes the blond boy walked back to Murrue and climbed up into her lap. Giggling, Murrue gently began to comb through his unruly blond curls and asked lovingly, "Tired are we?"

"Yep." Bryan replied sweetly, cuddling up against her stomach and grinning broadly. He then peered up at Murrue with those wide emerald eyes of his and asked, "Mommy?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Home now?"

Murrue smiled a little, touching noses with her little boy. "You want to go home now?" He nodded, and she smiled, ruffling his hair again. "What about Auntie Rin? Didn't we promise she could spend some time with you today?"

"Auntie Rin today?" Bryan repeated, looking puzzled for a long moment and then the familiar smile was back. "Okay!"

Laughing, Murrue stood up and swept him into her arms, nuzzling his cheek against hers until he squirmed with laughter. She set him down and began to walk back to her car after saying goodbye to Lacus. Bryan paused to hug her tightly around the legs, saying his own goodbye sweetly before chasing after his mother.

He trotted after her to the car, his left hand curled tightly around her pantleg. She laughed, kept her pace slow so her hand could rest gently on his head. She opened the backdoor for him, and he scooted inside, climbing up into his car-seat. After quickly buckling him in, she slid into her own seat and began to drive.

"Mommy?"

Murrue glanced up into the mirror to see her son staring up at her with those wide curious eyes of his again. "Yes?"

"Auntie Rin at the park?"

"Yes, she should be."

"Swings?"

Murrue laughed again. 'He loves the swings... I partially blame his father for that, he says he's flying... Rin was right of course, he already wants to fly.' "Yes honey, we can go on the swings."

They pulled up to the park, Murrue wasn't surprised to see the little boy wriggling against the belt that held him still. She unstrapped him carefully, lifting him out of the car and onto the sand. He didn't take off, waiting patiently for her.

The two walked into the park together, Bryan holding her hand as they ventured nearer to the playground. After a moment or two, he glanced up at Murrue for permission and she smiled. Letting go of her hand he took off towards the swings.

Laughing she followed him, making sure he didn't trip over anything. 'He's either a born athlete or he's very strong for his age... Running confidently already...'

He waited until she was beside him, and she lifted him onto the swing, slipping the boy easily into the protective seat. Giving him a little push, the boy squealed and laughed, waving his chubby arms in the air. She gave him another larger push, watching him wriggle around, still laughing.

She watched him affectionately, knowing he just loved to play on the swing, he could amuse himself for hours. After giving him another push she heard the ringing of her cell-phone. Turning around to where she had left her purse, she picked up the small red object, flipped it open and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey Murrue."_

"Oh, hey Rin." Murrue answered cheerfully, before realizing Rin sounded faintly pained. "You sound terrible, is something wrong?"

"_Yeah... I know I was supposed to meet you at the park, but, well..."_ She faded off, sounding weary. After a few short moments her voice was heard again, pained once more, _"I got up off the couch to go and meet you and I nearly passed out. My head's ringing something fierce."_

"Oh that's horrible. Is it a migraine?" Murrue asked worriedly, never having heard the blond girl sound so weak before. She did know however Rin was prone to have horrible headaches every so often, but nothing really seemed able to keep the girl off her feet. "It's alright then, stay at home and sleep. Did you take any pills?"

"_Murrue, you've been to my apartment."_ Rin grumbled back sarcastically. _"You know I do not possess any pills or any kind."_

"Rin." Murrue said sharply, not liking how the girl simply refused to take care of herself. "I'll stop by later and drop off some Tylenol then. In the meantime put a cold cloth on your forehead, lie down in the dark and stay away from the phone."

"_Yes mom."_

"I'll see you later then."

"_Yeah, yeah... Bye."_

"Bye."

Murrue hung up, still frowning a little bit at the thought of her friend sick in bed. 'It just doesn't seem natural for Rin to be sick, she's always on the go... I hope she feels better soon... Well, we're already here, might as well let him run loose for a little while...'

She continued to push Bryan until he asked her if he could get out. She scooped him up and set him on the sand, watching him bolt for the slide next. She really didn't feel any concern when she watched him quickly scale the little ramp, but kept a close eye on him.

'Adventurous little scamp...' Murrue thought with a little smile, watching how if he stumbled he'd immediately pick himself up, even more stubborn to get to his goal. 'And nothing can keep him down...'

She watched his progress, saw the way he'd hold himself straighter after tumbling, how he'd run with more confidence after getting up. He was stubborn, brave, and incredibly fast-learning. It made her smile. 'He's so much like his father...'

She peeked over her shoulder, over to where Morgenroete was. Her work was only a little bit away from the playground, she and Erica used to come over during their breaks to watch the children play. Lacus would bring Bryan and the orphans over to the playground to play during her breaks so they could still spend time with each other even when she was supposed to be working.

"Mommy, mommy!" Bryan called, and Murrue quickly turned around to see him perched on the edge of the slide. "Look at me!"

"I am sweetie." Murrue called back, trying hard not to laugh. "Alright, coming down?"

"Nope!" Bryan squealed, climbing back up and taking off down the little bridge again. He paused when his mother looked away, glancing over at the man standing by the old tree. He had been watching them for a little while. Bryan peered at him for a few long moments, then lifted his hand and waved.

Murrue missed the motion, glancing over her shoulder at her work again. She was very sure she'd seen a glimpse of her boss and son, but she wasn't too sure. She noticed Bryan was standing still again, staring out past her. Wondering what he was doing she called up to him, "What are you looking at Bryan?"

"Who's that over there mommy?"

Murrue got to her feet, immediately suspicious. She turned around to face where he was pointing, and gasped as though she'd been struck. 'No.' She blinked several times, breathing coming in strangled gasps. 'No, no, no, he can't be here.'

He was watching her, and she knew that she could never misplace those familiar azure eyes of his. She shakily rolled up her sleeve, pinching herself hard. She felt the pain, but he didn't vanish. 'How can he...'

Bryan hopped down, making his way quickly to his mother's side. He slid his tiny hand into hers, watching the stranger with curious eyes. He raised his hand and waved again.

The man smiled, and he waved back.

Murrue gasped sharply, the familiar grin really knocking the wind right out of her. Her knees shook uneasily, feeling as though the ground was rushing out from under her feet. Mind rushing crazily, the rational side of her said she was dreaming, that nothing was real and she was seeing things, her heart had started to scream.

"Hello."

Erica was only ten feet away from the entrance to the park when she saw her friend simply collapse onto the ground without warning. Eyes wide in shock she let go of Ryuta's hand and said hastily, "Stay there." She made it over to her friend's side quickly, placing her hand on her friend's wrist to feel for a pulse. 'Oh thank god...'

She looked up, and things quickly began to make sense. Her startled eyes met his wide azure ones and she said quietly, still kneeling almost protectively beside her unconscious friend, "Well this explains a hell of a lot." He didn't answer, only stared. She asked harshly, watching Bryan staring at his mother in panic, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I was just walking." He answered sheepishly, running a hand through his unruly blond hair, staring at the unconscious brunette in surprise. "I heard the kid laughing, I stopped to watch... She turned around and I said hello then she just... Fainted."

Erica bit her lower lip, stifling the many things she wanted to say to him but her friend was her first priority. She called Ryuta over. She thanked her son for having his father's calm nature, he quickly took hold of the two year old blond, walking away with him. Erica looked at the blond man then back at her friend and said quietly, "Take her for me. I can't lift her, she needs to be brought to the Infirmary."

"Uh... What?"

"Take her dammit." Erica growled, not having time for this, her worry for her friend trumped any confusion. 'Murrue's my first and only worry right now.' "She passed out because of you, so you're going to help me or else I'll make your life a living hell."

He looked down at her, unsure. After a moment he slowly and carefully looped his arms under her knees and supported her back, picking her up to cradle her limp form in his arms. He watched the redhead watch him for a moment, and then he quickly followed her up the dirt path.

* * *

He watched her. He watched the nurse examine her and tell them that she was perfectly fine. She hadn't hit her head when she fell, and she was alright, just unconscious. The redheaded woman, Mrs Simmons, had said he was lucky she wasn't injured. Despite the honest worry in her face, he felt relieved as well, strangely somehow.

He sighed. Running his hand through his unruly hair, he watched her sleeping. The little boy she had been with was sitting in the chair beside her, with Mrs Simmons' own little boy sitting next to him.

Finally Mrs Simmons herself turned to look at him, her glare piercing, hands on her hips. He now really understood why she was the boss of the factory, she looked like she took no crap from anyone, she was rather intimidating. She spoke harshly, voice serious and firm and to the point, though her voice rose with each question. "Why are you here? Where the hell have you been? What's in your head?!"

"I don't know what happened, why are you yelling at me? I don't even know who you are!" He exclaimed in exasperation, completely and utterly confused by what was going on. The woman acted as though she knew who he was, something that completely astounded him.

She looked very taken aback at his words, blinking three times in surprise. Her gaze flickered from him to the woman in the bed to the little boy, and then back to him. "You don't know who I am?" She slowly sat down, suddenly out of steam. Understanding flickered in her eyes and she looked back up at him. "Do you know who you are?"

"Mu. My name is Mu." He answered readily, happy to at least know that much. "Mu La Flaga."

Erica sighed heavily, once again her gaze changed to the unconscious brunette in the bed. She looked back at him, examining him. He looked only a little different, his hair was the same, face the same, but there were scars. A forked one stretched across the bridge of his nose, more were visible on his forearms as his sleeves were rolled up, she had no doubt there were many more under his shirt. She murmured weakly, "Jachin Due took its toll on you..."

"Do you know me?" Mu asked eagerly, watching her reaction carefully. She blinked, as if startled by the sudden question. He sighed and explained softly, "Two years ago, I woke up in a hospital in Alaska only remembering my name. It's taken me two years to learn what little information I have. And that's basically only a little bit of personal data. I don't remember anything about my past."

She examined him strangely, as if searching for words. Her gaze went back to the brunette again, resting on the woman for a few long minutes. It seemed like an eternity before she looked back at him. She asked softly, "If you don't remember anything, why are you here in ORB?"

"I'm not entirely sure why I'm here." Mu answered weakly, looking around, as if trying to find something familiar, but it was all strange to him. He finally looked at the floor and said quietly, "It just seemed to me... Like I should be here."

Erica grumbled something under her breath, hoping to God she wasn't in for a very long run but she knew otherwise already. Hands dragging over her face she sighed, "This is going to be a _very_ long day." A soft groan made her turn towards the bed, and she watched Murrue stir painfully.

"Ugn..." Murrue blinked slowly, finally coming back to her senses. Slowly she forced herself into a sitting position, rubbing her forehead wearily. She looked up, meeting Mu's confused eyes and gasped. "You! What are you- I thought I was... I thought I was dreaming!"

"It must be one crazy dream Murrue." Erica said weakly, searching her friend's shocked eyes. "Because I'm seeing him too. And so is your son."

Murrue blinked, suddenly realizing her son was sitting there with tears in his big emerald eyes. She quickly scooped him into her lap, hugging him tightly against her. He was shivering and crying. Heart aching in guilt and eyes stinging with her own tears, she whispered shakily into his hair, "Oh baby... I'm so sorry I scared you... I'm so sorry Bryan..."

Feeling very sheepish and out of place, Mu backed up a little to give them privacy. The woman's tears had brought a bolt of pain through his chest, and he was nearly taken over by a sudden urge to comfort her himself. She looked up at him, eyes dry now and face composed. But the look in her marigold eyes startled him, she looked confused, hurt, and... Was it hopeful? Finally after a long moment of silence he said softly, "I'm sorry for startling you like I did earlier... I hope you're not hurt..."

"No, I'm okay..." Murrue murmured back softly, her grip on her son never loosening. Her mind was racing crazily, her heart hammering madly in her ears. 'Why won't he say anything?'

Erica coughed. Mu took the hint and frantically searched his mind for something to say. She was staring at him, as if waiting for him to say something but he was at a loss of what to do. Finally he asked weakly, "Do I know you?"

**AN**

**(Cues soap opera music) Eheh (runs and hides in the tree) Cliffie. It got to be about four and a half pages, lol, figured it was long enough. And it gives me moar time to think bout reactions n stuff, lol. So anyway, lol, I brought him back earlier than I thought I would, but bah, he's back.**

**Sky**


	8. Chapter 7

Murrue blinked several times, not sure how to answer a question like that. Holding Bryan protectively to her, she fought back the obvious words screaming loudly in her head. 'Yes you know me. _Of course you know me_. I'm holding _your son_ for god's sake!' Somehow she masterfully disguised the anguish she was feeling, forcing her emotions to hide under a small little smile. She met his confused gaze and said softly, voice warm, "Yes, you know me... I was a friend of yours."

Erica blinked this time, looking at Murrue with widened eyes. She had half a mind to call Murrue's lie, but when she looked at Bryan she forced the words down and looked away. 'You better know what you're doing Murrue...'

Oblivious to this, Mu smiled broadly, seemingly very relieved to hear that someone out of this entire mess knew something about him. Voice eager and kind he said happily, "Thank god, here I was worried that I'd end up being lost again. I really am sorry about what happened, I must have startled you horribly."

"Yes, you did, but there's no harm done." Murrue said with forced cheer in her voice, smile still plastered on her face. "I'm alright, so no foul..."

It only took a few moments before Murrue could persuade Erica to take Bryan and Ryuta so she could talk to him by herself. He seemed glad to have the chance to speak to her, and he pulled up a chair beside her. He began speaking first, voice quiet and sincere, "I'm sorry for scaring you again..."

"Oh don't worry, you really don't need to apologize for it." Murrue told him with a little smile, and she was relieved to see him smile back. "It was just a bit of a shock, I mean... We all thought you were gone."

"How do you know me?" Mu asked, looking very intrigued. He smiled sheepishly at her surprised expression and said apologetically, "Sorry, but I haven't had a chance to learn anything about myself from anyone I've met... It's the first time I've had a chance to get answers. I'm really curious."

"It's alright, ask away. I'll answer as best I can." Murrue said with a smile, settling back in the little cot to see his boyish grin better.

"So, how do you know me?"

"I was a friend of yours. My name's Murrue in case you forgot..." Murrue answered readily, her smile fading a little as the lie bit at her throat as it was spoken. "We met on a ship, we both served during the war together... We were soldiers."

Mu noticed she seemed to be holding back a little, but what confused him was what and why. Deciding to trust her anyway, he gave her the benefit of the doubt and asked genially, "So, were we ORB soldiers?"

Murrue winced, looking around the room nervously. 'How the hell do I answer that one? I can't just tell him he's wanted for treason, the poor guy can barely remember his own name...' She took a deep breath and then said casually, "We're ORB soldiers. Well actually we were, now that the war is over anyway. I don't fight anymore... And what about you?"

"No, I don't have any plans on fighting more." Mu answered with a sure nod, unconsciously rubbing his forearms. "I remember waking up in quite a lot of pain when I came to two years ago... Wounded in a battle, that's what the doctors told me... I'd rather not have to live through that twice."

Murrue flinched, closing her eyes against the mental image of him wrapped in bandages lying motionless in a hospital bed. The mere idea brought tears to her eyes and she quickly brushed the back of her hand over them. Unable to hide the emotion in her voice she asked softly, "Do you still hurt from the wounds you got?"

"Not really." Mu answered with an idle shrug, gesturing to the scars on his forearms. "I'm pretty much healed now." He grinned almost impishly, and added cheerfully, "I caused the docs a lot of hell cause I healed so fast."

"You never did like being caged." Murrue remarked quietly, remembering the countless times he snuck out of the Infirmary and into her room onboard the ArchAngel. The mere memory brought a tiny smile to her face. "Too much like the hawk, you love to fly."

He blinked, a little confused by her remark. "A hawk...?" He frowned, racking what little memory he had trying to track down the thought. "Why is that so familiar...?"

Murrue hastily scrambled to recover from her slip, quickly saying, "It was your piloting nickname." Her voice fell, eyes looking down to her lap as her hands curled into fists there, "That's how you got hurt... Piloting."

"Oh... Well that explains a lot." Mu looked his arms over, examining the wounds carefully. He idly traced one of the thinner scars and asked casually, "Was I any good? With all these marks you'd have thought I was pretty accident-prone..."

"You were a great pilot." Murrue said softly, closing her eyes again to stop the memories that were flooding her mind. "One of the best I'd ever seen..."

"How did I know you? You don't look like a pilot, so I'm guessing you were an officer?" Mu asked, examining her carefully. She looked more like she was suited for the hands-on work, keeping people and things in line.

"Captain." Murrue answered without even thinking, and she immediately regret opening her mouth at all. 'Dammit! How in the world do I explain this without getting into the entire ArchAngel thing?'

Mu laughed, amused by her slight awkwardness and the way she answered without missing a beat. "Funny, I'd never have guessed. I'd have pegged you for a mechanic."

"Well you're half right, I was a mechanic before I officially was enlisted I guess you could say." Murrue answered with a little smile, knowing that was quite more truth than lie. "I work here, at Morgenroete now... So I am now a mechanic full-time. No more military life for me, I left that behind when the war ended, I don't plan on going back... Anyway, what do you do?"

Mu looked sheepish, almost embarrassed by her question. He rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, saying weakly, "To be honest, I've just been travelling around looking for answers... A man at the hospital I woke up at, he let me stay with him for awhile, when I was doing some digging about my background. I came here, to look around more, but honestly I don't have a job or a place to live at... Mostly I've been rooming at a hotel."

Murrue looked at him in complete surprise, completely blown away to find that he hadn't had a stable living arrangement for two years. Out of nowhere she found herself blurting out, "You can stay with me."

They both seemed equally alarmed by the sudden invitation, Murrue clapped a hand over her mouth while Mu blinked several times in surprise. "N-No, I couldn't impose like that on you." Mu stammered, shaking the shock from his system, not sure if he'd heard right. "I don't want to be a bother to you. It's a really nice offer, but... I can't accept it."

Murrue was torn in two, her rational mind telling her to just let it go and send him on his way. Her heart was screaming to not take no for an answer. She gave in to her heart's selfish desire and said hurriedly, "You said you have nowhere else to go, right? And I'd be happy to do you a favour, it's _really_ not a bother."

"I can't accept it, I've got no way to pay you back for being so kind to me." Mu insisted, though the offer was looking very tempting.

"If you have to you can get a job here and pay me rent or something." Murrue replied quickly, hating herself for wanting to hang onto him so desperately. Finding the best way to seal the deal she added, "And I'll help you the best I can to find out everything about your past while you're here."

Mu looked at her again, watching her carefully. She looked completely sincere, hopeful that he'd accept her offer. He took a few moments, thinking about her offer . Finally he said deliberately, "I'll get a job and pay you rent for room and board. If it gets difficult for you, I'll go though, okay?"

"That's alright with me."

"Wait, what about your husband?" Mu asked suddenly, remembering the little boy with a jolt, "Won't he mind?"

Murrue jumped, the word actually sending a bolt of electricity through her with surprising force. Blinking in surprise she stammered the word nervously, "H-Hu-Husband?" She hated herself for blushing, and managed to ask somewhat awkwardly, "Wh-What made you think I was married?"

"Well, first off you've got a little boy." Mu pointed out, watching her wince and look away, cheeks reddening a little in a fierce blush. "And you're wearing a ring..."

Still blushing madly, she was both very angry at herself and furious at Mu. 'Oh you jackass, I could kill you right now...' Forcing herself to forget her anger because he couldn't possibly understand it, she said softly, "Bryan's father... He isn't around anymore... And... I never married the man either." She twirled the ring unconsciously and explained quietly, "The ring was a gift from someone very precious to me. That's why I wear it." She gently pulled it from her left hand, placing it on her right instead and asked him shyly, "Does that make you feel more comfortable?"

Mu smiled back weakly, feeling a little bit more than just guilty for seeing how quickly she was willing to change things for him. It made him wonder just how good friends they were, she was already looking at him with fondness that made him finally feel comfortable. He muttered weakly, still sheepish, "I don't want to be such a big change in your life..."

"Well like it or not Mu, the change has already happened." Murrue told him with a little smile, and she noticed he blinked and looked at her strangely. Blushing incredibly at the sudden grin on his face she asked shyly, "What's wrong?"

"I like hearing you saying my name." Mu said with a big grin, marvelling at how easily she made him feel comfortable and just at home.

Murrue shivered despite herself, forcing herself to clamp a lid on the sudden rush of emotion that came screaming back at her from that little smile. Biting her lower lip she looked away nervously. 'How long am I going to be able to last if he keeps doing that? He's still a charmer...' "Um, I have some friends who can help you move in, when would be a good time for you?"

"It's probably best I don't move in right away... And to be honest, I don't have much to move in with in the first place..." Mu said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck again as he watched her look thoughtful. "Maybe I should get a job first?"

"You can look for a job whenever you need to, it's more important to make sure you've got a place to rest your head every night first." Murrue pointed out, but his frown told her he really wasn't too set on the idea. "C'mon Mu, I can't in good conscience let you sleep in a hotel again. Not when I've got an empty room that could be used."

"You're really set on this..." Mu remarked wearily, running his hand through his hair again, effectively making it even more messier than before.

"I'm returning a favour." Murrue told him gently, unconsciously reaching out so her hand was set on top of his. He looked up at her in surprise and she smiled a little. "Don't keep arguing with me, you're going to stay at my house. At least for a little while, until you get stable again."

"I had a feeling you'd end up being very stubborn about this..." Mu chuckled quietly, and she smiled sweetly at him, before leaning back in the cot again. "When would it be a good time for you?"

"Anytime really."

"Well I need to get my affairs in order, so... This weekend?"

"Sounds fine to me."

* * *

"He's back..." Kira remarked quietly, watching the blond man struggling with Andrew to lift the spare bed up the porch and into the house. "I really can't believe it..." He turned to Murrue, who was watching their progress with a little smile, though the sadness in her eyes was obvious. "But he doesn't remember a thing?"

"His name, birth-date, a few little things like his blood-type and birthplace, but otherwise nothing." Murrue told him wearily, watching the blond man laugh as they attempted to steer the mattress through the door, with little success. She smiled weakly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and murmured, "Despite the fact that he doesn't remember anything... He hasn't seemed to have changed very much..."

"Miss Murrue..." Kira asked hesitantly, looking more than slightly concerned. She turned to look at him and he asked hastily, "If he doesn't remember anything... Why were you so eager to have him move in with you? Won't that cause trouble for you and Bryan?"

"Almost three years have gone by and I still love him." Murrue commented with another weak smile, pocketing her hands as she leaned into the gentle breeze. "Amnesiac or not, that won't change. If I can help him, I will..."

"How much does he know about you? Does he know that you and him were...?" Kira faded off, not sure how to press the question, but he was getting fairly worried about the decision she was making.

"As far as he's concerned, we're nothing but good friends." Murrue said with a bitter note in her voice. 'I know I can't hide it forever... And I know that Kira knows it too. He's worried about this blowing up in my face...' She turned to the brunette boy, looking him straight in the eye. He returned the stare, face serious. "I'm asking you to do this for me, not as your captain, but as a friend. Help me keep my secret, at least for a little bit longer."

"As a friend and not as your subordinate... I'll do as you ask me to." Kira answered her solemnly, face serious and eyes grave. After a long moment of silence his eyes grew concerned again and he asked gently, "But please Miss Murrue... Promise me you'll be careful. I'd hate to see you hurt again."

"I'll be fine Kira, I can take care of myself you know." Murrue reminded him playfully, gently ruffling his hair. "But it's sweet you care so much."

"I'm just watching out for you." Kira answered awkwardly, looking away as the traitor blush stained his cheeks. He shoved his hands into his pockets and muttered weakly, "I'm paying you back for all the help you've given me... I just want to feel like I can do more for you."

"You've done enough Kira. You saved our lives after all, how is that not paying us back?" Murrue asked with raised eyebrows, and she wasn't surprised to see the poor boy look at the ground, blushing again. Grinning at how awkward he was getting, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. "Stop fussing over me Kira. Get to work."

Clapping his hand to his cheek, Kira stared at her in surprise and she laughed, winking. He took off towards where Athrun and Andrew were working, red in the face.

"Well this is going fairly nicely, you've got some strong men at your beck and call."

Murrue whirled in surprise, not expecting him to have snuck up behind her like he did. He chuckled at her surprised expression and she smiled sheepishly, gesturing to the sawdust and dirt on his hands and clothing, "Well you've been working just as hard as they have. And I'd say you're just as strong as Commander Waltfeld is."

"Commander Waltfeld? Ah, you mean the tan guy." Mu gestured to Andrew, who was busy joking around with the brown haired kid, the two laughing at a shared joke while the other boy listened politely, smiling and nodding. "He's pretty tough for only having one arm."

"He lost it in battle, did he tell you that story yet?" Murrue asked with interest, knowing how fond Andrew was of his war stories. Though kira was prone to get touchy about the fact that he was to blame, Andrew had told him countless times he found no blame to lay on his shoulders. "Actually... All of us were soldiers once upon a time."

"I figured as much. The kids are tough, wise beyond their years too. I can just see it from how they talk and such." Mu remarked with a little chuckle, shaking his hair out of his eyes, grinning broadly in the hot sunlight. "That and they all do seem to have something in common concerning you."

"Oh?"

"They all really like you." Mu teased, grinning as she laughed and looked away with feigned shyness. "No really, I see it in all of their faces, it's actually kinda cute. The kid, the brown haired one anyway, he walked away from you with quite a blush. The other one, Athrun I think it was, he's too polite to say anything but he likes you too. And as for Waltfeld... Well." He winked playfully and added genially, "I wouldn't be surprised if he asked you out."

"No, no, he's a friend, nothing more." Murrue admonished him playfully, giving him a gently whack on the shoulder, watching the boys take their break. "Kira's just naturally shy and has a girlfriend, and Athrun has a woman of his own waiting at home for him. Do you like the boys?"

"Yeah, they're nice enough." Mu replied cheerfully, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watched the other three lounging underneath the tree sipping water as they took a break. He frowned a little and added weakly, "They do keep looking at me strangely though..." He looked at Murrue and asked her wearily, "Am I going to have to get used to that?"

"Yeah, you will..." Murrue murmured apologetically, wishing she could take his hand in hers and tell him it'd be okay. She saw how uneasy he was about this, but he was trying hard to fit in. "You were a friend of theirs, it's strange for them too you know."

"I figured as much, the kid seems nice enough to me. Protective of you though, it's kinda funny." Mu added with a grin, watching Murrue roll her eyes skyward. His gaze drifted, fixing on the amethyst eyed teenager. "Kira, that's his name... He's got the look of an old man in his eyes... Like he's lived through hell and back."

"He wasn't a willing soldier." Murrue murmured softly, heart aching as she remembered how much the poor boy had lived through. "He suffered much as a pilot... It's been hard on him. But he's finally getting better... As for Athrun... His father was once the leader of PLANT and ZAFT, Patrick Zala... It's been difficult for Athrun as well."

"I feel bad about not being able to remember the war, I wish I could say something to make them know I'm sorry for what's happened... I have a feeling me being here just made things a lot more confusing for everybody." Mu remarked softly, voice quiet and painful.

"It's confusing yes, but everyone's happy you're back, memory or not." Murrue reminded him gently, reaching out to touch his arm in a comforting gesture. "We all are."

"Thanks again." Mu said with a little smile, looking at the small but homey looking house. She had invited him in without hesitation, offered her home to be his home for a little while, he was incredibly grateful somebody would extend their hand to him like this. She hadn't wanted a thank you, she continued to say it was a favour she was repaying. "Really."

"Don't thank me, it's the least I could do for you." Murrue reminded him in a softly scolding voice, poking him gently in the nose. "You need a home, and I can give you one for a little while."

"I'm still going to thank you." Mu repeated cheerfully, leaning close to brush his lips against her cheek. "So you're in for a long run Murrue." With that he walked away, laughing as he joined the other three males.

Murrue clapped her hand to her cheek, startled. She stared after him with wide eyes, electricity running down her veins from the spot where he had kissed her. Slowly she let her hand drop to her side, and she murmured weakly to herself, "This _is_ going to be a long run... I hope I made the right choice."

**AN**

**Lol, lots happened in this chapter, heheh. I can't help feeling like I rushed it though (sweatdrop) Tho to be fair the moving thing was after about a week's time, and she loves him to death of course she'd immediately invite him to live with her. As awkward as he'd be about it, I doubt in his position he really can afford to turn down a roof over his head.**

**Sky**


	9. Chapter 8

_Twenty-Three Months_

'Has it really been three weeks since he moved in with us?' Murrue thought to herself, stretching idly beneath the covers as the morning sun shone through the windows. "Mmm..." She stretched again, sighing contentedly before she curled back into a ball under the sheets. 'Seems like it's been much longer...'

A gentle knock on the door made her look up, and she grinned, knowing just who it was. She called through the wood, not even bothering to slip out of bed just yet, "Yeah?"

"Hey, you gonna come and get your breakfast or do I need to drag you out of bed?"

"If you can get me then maybe I'll come." Murrue shot back with a laugh, tossing back the covers as she slipped elegantly out of bed. She was slightly amazed how casual conversation was with him already, he had appeared to have adjusted incredibly well to living with her. She slid into the thin robe she liked to wear, peeking out through the crack of the door to see him busy at the stove. "Good morning."

"Morning to you too sleepy-head." Mu teased, gesturing to the mess her hair was. He turned back to the stove, idly flipping the eggs he had been cooking. He asked conversationally, never looking away from the frying pan, "How was your sleep?"

"Mm, good actually." Murrue replied, stretching her arms over her head. She sniffed the air, enjoying the scent of the frying food. "I didn't know you could cook, that's really a surprise."

"Hey, I'm not that much of an idiot." Mu whined, pretending to look hurt. She giggled and he chuckled despite himself, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Got work again today?"

"Actually it's my day off..." Murrue replied busily, realizing the entire time he'd been turned around her gaze had been drifting steadily downwards. Blushing at this realization she quickly fled into the hall, calling hastily over her shoulder, "I thought I'd bring Bryan to the park today!"

"Oh really?" She heard him call after her, and she was glad she had been able to race away quickly enough. She busied herself with getting her son out of bed and dressed, and he was quick to escape her hold and run into the kitchen.

Murrue peeked in, noticing how Bryan was standing at attention by Mu's side, staring up at him with wide eyes. She laughed softly, watching the boy watching Mu. He had taken an instant shine to the blond man, and was prone to always be around him if he wasn't glued to her side. She called gently, "Bryan, don't stand too close, it's hot."

"Okay mommy." Bryan obediently took two giant steps back, but kept his gaze focussed on what Mu was doing.

Murrue rolled her eyes, but leaned on the wall to watch the boys. It was rather cute how Bryan was so attached to Mu, the two were rarely separated. In the few short weeks they were together, Bryan was already in love with the man, something that seemed mutual, Mu loved the boy as well. "So Bryan..." Murrue asked casually, knowing how this was going to turn out, "Do you want to go to the park today?"

Bryan whirled around, the mention of his favourite place bringing a huge grin to his childish face. He quickly ran up to his mother, hooking both hands on the front of her robe, staring up at her with the big puppy-dog look he had mastered, "Can Mu come too?"

Murrue coughed to hide her amusement, knowing he was dead serious about having his new big friend to come and play with him. She looked over at Mu, who was beaming at the little boy, and she wondered if they had planned it in advance. She grinned at him and asked politely, "Well Mr Mu, would you mind escorting us to the park today?"

"I'd be delighted Miss Murrue." Mu replied gallantly, grinning when Bryan laughed excitedly, hugging his mother tightly around the legs. "Alright then, but first, breakfast."

**The Park**

It was roughly one in the afternoon by the time the threesome had gotten outside, the sun was shining brightly down on the sandy playground. She wasn't very startled to see it was fairly crowded, many families took their children to the playground on the weekends.

Bryan took off like a shot the minute he was free of his car-seat, squealing over his shoulder, "Catch me Mu!"

Mu blinked, a little startled by the request. He looked nervously at Murrue, who was smiling affectionately after her son. He wasn't sure if it was overstepping a boundary between them to give chase and waited patiently until she grinned and nodded at him. Laughing himself he took off as well after the little boy.

Weaving through the trees he finally caught up to the little boy, snatching him by the torso and tossing him into the air to catch him swiftly a moment later. Bryan squealed in delight, wriggling around and they playfully began to tussle. Mu was careful to watch the little boy's size, but Bryan held his own fairly well, laughing and giggling madly.

Murrue watched them tussle with a little smile, noticing how Mu took great care of the boy's size, but still played full out anyway. They played in the grass and on the swings, Bryan's personal favourite, and somehow he ended up taking a great ride on Mu's shoulders.

Murrue laughed at this, noticing how Bryan seemed to love being up so high. He was holding onto Mu's arms tightly, looking around with those wide emerald eyes of his. "How is it up there Bryan?"

"Fun!"

Mu chuckled, leaning down a little, causing Bryan to shriek in delight before he hopped up a little. He noticed Murrue didn't have any fear or worry in her expression when he played with the boy, she trusted him completely. 'A month and she trusts me with her son already...'

"Hey mommy?" Bryan peered down at his mother, eyes wide and full of that innocent childish hope, "Can we get some ice cream?"

Murrue was about to look up at him and ask him how he got that idea but stopped short at the mirroring hopeful look on Mu's face. She burst out laughing, unable to help herself. Both boys were staring at her with the matching 'please-oh-please' look that she knew so well, their matching eyes sparkling with hope. "How in the world can I say 'no' when you're looking at me like that?"

"You're not supposed to, that's the point." Mu told her playfully, resuming the hangdog expression as soon as she looked back at him with a smirk. "So please?"

Bryan caught on very fast to this track and added his own two cents, his little angel's voice clear and sweet, "Please mommy?"

Murrue knew she didn't have the heart to deny her son anything, and with the other big boy around she doubted she'd ever be able to say no. Pretending and exaggerating defeat she grumbled, "I'm going to be flat broke in three more weeks because of you two. Oh alright." She idly pulled out her wallet and asked casually, "What kind do you want?"

"Chocolate!" Bryan immediately answered, hopping up and down as well as he could on Mu's broad shoulders.

"I don't know."

Bryan leaned over his head to look at him quizzically, his wide emerald eyes confused. "Not know?" Mu shook his head sheepishly, not really knowing what to say to that sort of question. Bryan grinned, looking completely and utterly at ease now. "We share then!" He said simply and proudly.

Murrue smiled at her son who was beaming from ear to ear, then looked at Mu's startled expression. "He likes you." She told him gently, patting his arm. "That and he probably thinks that you really need to get out more if you don't know your own favourite ice cream flavour."

"I don't really remember." Mu told her awkwardly, never loosening his grip on Bryan's legs as he stood up to follow the brunette mother.

"Bryan will help you." Murrue told him simply and cheerfully, winking at Bryan who awkwardly attempted to mimic the gesture. "Go on and sit down, I'll be right back." She walked off to the small vendor's cart which was seeking shade under a large oak tree. She fetched a large chocolate and a small vanilla, knowing Bryan meant it when he said he'd share. She brought the treats back, and watched as Bryan gave the first taste to Mu.

Mu blinked in surprise, but followed the little boy's words and scooped a spoonful of the treat into his mouth. He grinned broadly, and heard Murrue burst out laughing beside him. He gave the treat to Bryan who promptly took his own small bite and in a matter of minutes they were already done.

Murrue took her time with her own little cone, and she noticed while Bryan was happy and full, Mu was staring at her with that hangdog expression she knew so well. She giggled and poked him in the side with her free hand, "I don't think so you pig, you had your own, this one's mine."

"Aw please?" Mu begged, looking for all the world like shew as going to abandon him in the street. She shook her head, refusing to let him and he whined, "I only got to taste the chocolate, I can't try the vanilla?"

"It's all mine big boy." Murrue replied with a smirk, taking a delicate bite of her ice-cream, knowing he was going to whine more.

"I could just steal it."

"Bryan's rubbing off on you." Murrue admonished playfully, and she watched him pout again. He continued to stare at her with those big blue eyes of his and she finally gave in, handing him the cone. "Oh fine..." She watched him beam and then dig in with gusto. By the end of it he had a blob of the melting treat on his nose and she burst out laughing at his appearance.

"Think that's funny?" Mu asked with a chuckle of his own, holding onto Bryan firmly with one arm. He wiped the melting treat from his nose and placed the dab on her own.

She laughed, quickly wiping it off and she cleaned Bryan's face with a cloth she pulled out of her purse. Smirking she couldn't resist the temptation and wiped Mu's face as well, snickering when he looked alarmed. She giggled and got to her feet, saying pleasantly, "Messy boys the both of you."

Mu laughed and likewise got to his feet, trying his best to look threatening but he couldn't pull it off. She laughed and took off running through the park and he asked Bryan cheerily, "Shall we chase her?" Bryan squealed an affirmative and the two took off after the laughing brunette.

* * *

"Well don't you look better. It's been ages since I've seen you so happy." Erica teased, leaning on the railing as she watched Murrue flick off her cap to glance up at her. "I guess he's doing you well."

"It's nice to have someone else around the house to help me out when I need it." Murrue conceded, not wanting to prove Erica right so quickly. "And it helps that Bryan loves him so much... I've never seen him take such a shine to another man like he has to Mu."

"The boy knows who is father is, he's a smart lad." Erica remarked with a little smile, brushing her hair over her shoulders as she admired the work ahead of her without really looking at it. "And I bet he can sense just how happy you are with Mu, he naturally trusts him because you do..."

"Maybe..." Murrue mused, thinking about that for a few moments. 'It's probably true, Bryan loved Mu as soon as he met him... He's a very smart little boy...'

"So how are things between you and La Flaga?"

"Fine."

"Oh? Fine?" Erica looked honestly surprised, causing Murrue to look up curiously at her, baffled. Erica elaborated cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear as she asked sweetly, "No sexual tension to speak of? No naughty dreams? Innuendo, tension, nothing? Sparks?"

Murrue scowled, immediately disliking where this conversation was going. She could expect this from Rin, the woman had a naturally dirty mind, but her boss? 'Why the hell?' "Why do you even _want_ to know? Why are you asking me this?"

"I'm interested." Erica answered sweetly, trying her best to hide the growing mischief she was feeling. It was a pity Rin wasn't at work, it'd be more fun to team up on the brunette. "It's been three years Murrue, and I know for a fact you haven't been busy for a very long time. I'm worried about how that's affecting your personal life."

"What the hell is with your sudden interest?" Murrue asked with a scowl, really not liking the evil look in her friend's eye. She crossed her arms, still wearing a scowl and demanded, "Did Rin put you up to this?"

"If she did would you answer me?"

"Hell no."

"Well she didn't." Erica told her cheerfully, trying not to grin as she imagined how Rin would be behaving at the moment. The blond would probably be in a fit of laughter. "Really, I just want to know if there's any building tension."

"No." Murrue said seriously, forcing herself to keep eye contact with her or Erica would never believe what she was saying. "There isn't."

She hated herself for lying so blatantly, but she'd never admit the spark that was still there between them. Every time their arms brushed, or they accidentally touched each other, there was always that little tingle. She'd never admit it aloud, but she knew her eyes were always wandering, and she had wondered more than once if his did too.

She groaned. The day had lasted forever, she really was looking forward to just going home and collapsing on her bed. Thankfully the end came sooner than she thought, and after a short drive home, peeking in on her son to make sure he was asleep, she collapsed on her bed and finally slept.

Though it looked as though her mind had other ideas for her so-called 'peaceful sleep'. She twisted and turned fitfully in the sheets, tangling her legs and arms in the fabric. Groaning softly she closed her eyes tighter in her sleep and continued to toss and turn on the small little bed.

"_Why didn't you tell me?" He hissed huskily into her ear, pinning her down against the bed as he easily removed her clothing, one article at a time._

"_Mu." She groaned, arching her back up against him as he slowly and skilfully did away with her blouse, leaving a hot trail of kisses down her front. Closing her eyes against the maddening sensation she begged, "Mu, please..."_

"_Did you think I'd leave you?" He demanded in a low growl, tossing her blouse across the room as he easily shrugged out of his shirt, revealing the array of scars crisscrossing his broad chest. "Did you think I wouldn't want you?" With each word he pushed himself closer to her, kissing her ear and collarbone. "That I'd just dump both of you?"_

"_Oh god..." Murrue moaned, closing her eyes against the waves of pleasure that was assaulting her body from wherever he touched her. She opened her eyes, dazed as he straddled her again, his eyes burning with lust into hers. With shaking hands she ran her fingertips down his chest, eliciting a hiss._

"_I love you." He whispered, staring down at her dazed expression. He leaned down, capturing her mouth in a bruising kiss that she was more than eager to return._

"_Mu." She whispered, winding her leg around his as she tugged him closer, her mouth seeking his again. "Mu..."_

"Holy shit!" Murrue cried out softly, bolting upright in alarm as the dream suddenly vanished. She shivered mightily as she glanced around hurriedly, worried that someone could have heard her. Crossing her arms across her chest she noticed she was still shivering and it had nothing to do with the fact that she'd kicked off the blankets. Slowly she uncurled her legs, groaning a little at the discomfort that caused.

Blushing fiercely she leapt out of bed, noticing her legs were incredibly weak. She barely managed to make it to the washroom, and she turned on the cold water, shed her clothes and slid inside. Gasping when the freezing water touched her hot skin, she closed her eyes and let it rain down hard on her.

As soon as her eyes were closed she was dreaming again, he was there with her in the shower, hands moving gently up her wet sides... She jumped. Hissing a violent curse under her breath she hit the wall with a closed fist. "If this keeps up I'll be dead in a week!"

She snatched her towel, raced back into her room, dried herself off and changed into some clean pajamas. She tripped over her discarded towel and her knee met the sharp edge of her bedside table, resulting in a very loud bang.

"FUCK!" Murrue swore loudly, wincing when she felt the hot trickle of blood begin to drip down from the scrape. Ignoring it and glad she was wearing shorts she found her way outside, figuring the cold fresh air would do her good. She sat on the edge of the porch, studying her scraped knee with little interest. "Aw dammit..."

"You okay?"

Murrue jumped at the sound of his voice from behind her, eyes widening in surprise when she saw him watching her with a concerned expression. She blushed and forced herself to look away, so she wouldn't flash back to that damn dream of hers. She muttered under her breath, taking care to keep her voice low, "Did I wake you?"

"I heard a bang and somebody yelled 'fuck' pretty loud, figured that was you." Mu answered with a little smile, watching her look away from him, her blush apparent even in the pale moonlight. He spotted the ruby liquid trickling lazily from the cut on her knee and blinked in surprise. "Are you okay?"

"Oh?" Murrue looked down, having not really noticed the cut despite the ringing pain. "Oh... I didn't notice... It's alright..."

"Wait here." Mu told her sternly, and she sat down mystified on the porch. He rushed inside and came back out a few moments later with a bottle of antiseptic and a box of bandages in his hands. He knelt in front of her, examining the scrape with a keen eye.

"You don't need to..." Murrue told him sheepishly, edging away a little, but when he looked up at her she blushed and suddenly went still. She still tried to persuade him otherwise though, hastily adding, "It's just a scrape, really it's nothing serious."

"It could get infected." Mu told her sternly, placing both hands on either side of her knee to hold her leg still, well aware of her soft gasp at the touch.

Murrue closed her eyes unconsciously as his hand moved gently up her leg, forcing herself to stay completely still as he examined the wound. She opened her eyes a little to watch him study the wound again before dabbing a little bit of the antiseptic onto a cotton ball. He touched it gently to the scrape and she gasped again, instinctively meaning to take her leg away but he held her firmly. The warm feel of his hands against her cold skin made her shiver, but she held the lid closed tightly on her emotions.

"Almost done." He whispered softly, still holding her leg still. With one hand still resting gently on the side of her knee he reached over and took a bandage from the box. Slowly, deliberately, he opened the bandage, then slid it on gently over her wound. "There..." He said quietly, "It's over."

Murrue opened her eyes, heart racing wildly inside her chest as his hands were still resting on her leg. She forced herself to stay still, but her gaze wouldn't leave his. Very slowly his hand move up her leg and she inhaled sharply, eyes closing instinctively against the subtle touch, and just as quickly he withdrew his touch.

"Sorry." He said quickly, averting his eyes to the ground as he let his hands drop to his sides. He stayed kneeling in front of her, neither able to move.

She stared at him for the longest time, and sighed shakily, not knowing what to say to him. Very slowly she reached out and touched his hair, and he looked up at her quickly. Her hand traced his cheek and she murmured quietly, "Don't be sorry."

His hands found her knee again, and with amazing delicacy he pressed a soft kiss to the bandage there. He muttered huskily, looking up at her with an intense gaze, "I hope you heal fast."

"I do too." Murrue murmured back breathlessly, staring at him as her heart rang fiercely in her ears. Slowly he got up, hands the last thing to leave her as he began to walk by her to leave. Without even thinking she caught his arm and whispered hurriedly, "No, don't go!" He looked at her in confusion, and she blushed fiercely but didn't let him go, asking softly, "Please... Can you stay with me for a little while?"

"Okay." He said quietly, sitting down beside her without any argument. He was a little bit surprised when she cuddled next to him, his arm automatically resting around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. He watched her for a moment, feeling very strange. 'This feels so familiar...' Without even thinking he kissed the crown of her hair, breathing in the soft scent of roses that was always clinging to her.

"Thank you." Murrue murmured quietly, looking up at him with soft marigold eyes.

"For what?"

"For staying."

"If it makes you smile..." Mu muttered quietly, brushing back a lock of her chocolate brown hair, "I'd do anything." She laughed quietly, moving a tiny bit closer to him. After a few long moments of comfortable silence, he asked weakly, "Do you like me living here with you and Bryan?"

"Of course I do." Murrue looked up at him, wondering where the question had come from. Examining the look on his face she asked worriedly, "Do you like living here? Are you happy here?"

"Of course I am!" Mu exclaimed hurriedly, wondering why she had even asked him that, he thought it was obvious. "Since I've been here, I've felt more content than I've felt in a long time. When I'm with you and your son... I don't feel like I need to remember my past. I feel perfectly whole right where I am, right now..."

Murrue blinked, having not expected this. As happy as he seemed, she always had thought he wouldn't ever truly be happy until he began to remember. And in the month he had spent here he hadn't seemed to remember very much. 'I didn't think he'd say something like that...' Placing her hand on his knee she said softly, "It's up to you what makes you happy... And I promise that I won't stop you from going through with whatever decision you decide to make... And I won't ask you to stay, if you want to go. I'd never make you feel obligated to stay. It's your choice, and I respect that."

'I already feel like I should stay.' Mu thought wearily, pulling her a little bit closer, slightly overwhelmed by the honest sincerity in her voice. He could tell his leaving would hurt her, though she hid it well he knew she would be in pain if he left. 'A month. I've spent a month here, living with her, and I'm already worrying about the future... I want to stay. I want to stay so much it scares me. I've never felt this strongly about someone before, it's fairly daunting...' He asked quietly, whispering into her hair, "Would you mind me staying for a little bit longer?"

"You can stay as long as you want to stay." Murrue told him firmly, looking up at him again, smiling invitingly. She squeezed his hand in her own a little and added shyly, "Because I'm sure as hell not going to ask you to leave."

**AN**

**Lol, quick updates ftw. Lol, it isn't often I can manage to update so quickly, but the ideas keep spinning round n round, and as long as I'm trapped at home I'm going to be writing. Heehee. And tension, tension, tension, aren't I the devil's incarnate? XD I'm horrible. And a naughty dream, blame the sisses for that. XD Ah, to answer a review I got earlier, lol...**

**Ryan:**** Lol, I honestly had no idea I gave the impression Rin was a clone, that kinda startled me XD Anyway, I can honestly say that she **_**isn't**_** the clone type, lol, though the "mystery" of her headaches won't be explained for a little bit longer tho, you're gonna have to wait. Heehee, thanks for reviewing, hope to hear more from you soon!**

**Sky**


	10. Chapter 9

_Twenty-Seven Months_

"You've been talking for an hour Murrue. And I still don't know what you're talking about." Rin said lazily, swinging her feet idly as she lay sprawled out lazily on the black leather couch, gazing up at the ceiling. The brunette had stormed into her apartment almost an hour ago, raving and ranting and the blond girl had sat patiently through the entire tirade, really not paying any attention at all.

Murrue groaned several low expletives, throwing herself down hard into the little cream coloured chair Rin seemed to favour most days. She watched Rin lie there with closed eyes, her bare feet hanging off the armrest, face passive. She looked around the small apartment with a quiet sigh, trying to find something to focus on to calm herself down.

Her apartment was a cosy, medium sized two room, with two doors on the far side, opposite the front door. The atmosphere was cosy enough, one could get lost examining the swirling wavy pattern of the aqua and blue colours of the wall. The floor was a surprising red colour, hidden only by a small black rug in the living room part of her apartment.

Finally, Rin rolled onto her side, examining Murrue with close scrutiny. Finally she pushed herself elegantly into a sitting position, and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Okay... Now you gotta remember something sweetie, things happen. That's karma. And as far as I'm concerned, you asked him to live with you, it's your fault if there's tension."

"I can't do it!" Murrue burst out, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. "It's driving me insane! I'm falling in love with him all over again!"

"You know technically..." Rin mused, examining her perfect fingernails with no interest, "If you were never 'out of love' to begin with, you can't fall in love 'all over again'."

Murrue sat up, crossed her arms and glared at Rin. She growled dangerously, "Why do I even bother telling you about these things?"

"For three reasons actually." Rin said cheerfully, crossing her legs and holding her knees tighter. She leaned back into the couch, her grin spreading across her angelic face. "First, he's my brother, second both of us love him, and third, you're in sore, _sore_, need of a girlfriend."

"I hate you." Murrue grumbled under her breath, but she knew as well as Rin did that she was lying. Rubbing her temples idly she looked down at her lap and murmured, "It's been almost three months now... And I'm going crazy."

"Tension?"

"Oh my god is there ever." Murrue groaned loudly, bowing her head into her hands, shaking it the entire time. "If we brush hands, there's always that sudden spark. When we trade glances it's like I never want to look away. I've been having these _insane_ dreams, I can't sleep properly anymore, and I swear I spend most of my free time checking him out!"

Rin giggled girlishly, unable to really help herself at the last remark. "You're checking my brother out? Heheh, wow girl, you really need to get yourself laid soon." Murrue stared at her in reproach with wide eyes and open mouth, which only caused Rin to burst out laughing crazily again. "I'm sorry Murrue, but I'm amazed how you've gone so long without action!"

"And let me guess, you ended up going to the bar last Sunday and got yourself in bed with the bartender?" Murrue asked sarcastically, and Rin merely shrugged, her smile fixed in place. "Rin, I'm not as free-spirited as you are, or as... Vicarious to pick a word, in my sex life as you are either."

"Who said I was crazy in my sex life?" Rin asked with raised eyebrows, trying her best to look offended but it didn't work out so well. "Oh fine, so I take my risks and I like to have fun while I can, but it doesn't mean I'm not careful when I'm being a little reckless." She frowned at herself and then grumbled, "You know what I meant... Anyway, just to let you know, I did not sleep with the bartender last Sunday."

"Who did you sleep with?" Murrue teased, cocking both eyebrows when Rin stubbornly looked away, sticking out her tongue to reply. "Oh c'mon, you've been sneaking off from work and showing up late, you've been with somebody lately. I wanna know who."

"Never you mind, it's none of your business." Rin answered awkwardly, and she cursed herself when she felt the blush beginning to sear her face.

"Ooh, you're blushing. Who is it?"

"Never mind!"

"Oh c'mon, tell me."

"No!"

"Please?"

"I said no!"

"C'mon Rin!"

"Dammit!" Rin exploded, bolting to her feet and facing the large windows that decorated the left side of her apartment, which faced the streets below. Crossing her arms and blushing something fierce she grumbled under her breath, "Erica's brother-in-law. I'm dating Erica's brother-in-law."

Murrue's eyes widened in amazement, having not expected that at all. "You're dating Jason? The tall quiet one?"

"Yeah." Rin grumbled in embarrassment, blushing to her ears as she thought of her normally soft-spoken boyfriend. Her _secret_ boyfriend. "We've been going out since he visited two months ago... It's been very 'under-wraps' if you get my meaning. Erica doesn't know, and I'd prefer it's kept that way."

"Erica would kill you." Murrue remarked with an awed exhalation. "Wow... Erica's brother-in-law. I can't believe it."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Ah, Commander how are you doing?"

Mu turned at the call of his 'title', and wasn't the least bit surprised to see the kid had been the one who called. "Hey kid." He waved his hand, inviting him to join him on the porch. The brunette boy wandered over with a polite smile, and at another invitation, sat down beside him.

"How have you been?"

"Alright, can't really complain." Mu replied with a little chuckle, gesturing to the small home he was currently living in. "I've got a roof over my head, a nice enough roommate, and food in my stomach, I'm doing fine."

"That's good to hear." The kid said with a wise nod, watching Mu with keen eyes. "You've been looking happier since you've moved in with Miss Murrue, it's been good for both of you."

"She's a kind woman..." Mu remarked truthfully, smiling when he thought of the brunette playing with her son or laughing at one of his jokes. "And she's got one cute kid..."

"Yes, Bryan is quite adorable." The kid agreed with another nod, smiling at the thought. There were many many times Bryan had spent hours at the cottage with him, Lacus and the other orphans, he was family as far as he was concerned. "He's a very advanced boy."

"He is, it's pretty cute." Mu chuckled, remembering how he just loved to talk and run, showing off his skills proudly. He knew for a fact that Murrue was _very_ proud of her son, the way she'd smile at him was enough proof. He also knew her love for him was limitless, she was fiercely protective, a wonderful mother. "He's got one hell of a mom..."

"Yeah, Miss Murrue is fiercely loving." The kid smiled a little, very sure of the fact, eyes softening a little with affection as he looked out at the beach. There was a nice comfortable silence, and then he asked gently, "Are you content here?"

"I haven't remembered anything new... Sometimes I get flashes in my dreams, or when I'm around certain people for so long..." Mu mused quietly, eyes narrowing and becoming serious as he thought hard. "It's more feeling than actual tangible proof... It's really just familiarity."

"It's better than being back at Alaska surrounded by nothing but strangeness." He pointed out, earning a wry chuckle and an agreeing nod. "After all, you can be more happy here, surrounded by friends."

"Yeah." Mu agreed again, watching the kid smile weakly, his gaze still on the waves. He had noticed several things about the kid in the short time he had known him. He was wise beyond his years, an old man in a child's body. He was quiet and serious, though he was always polite and kind to the people close to him. "I can tell without really knowing that I knew you, before I lost my memory, you were a friend of mine... I can sense that with other people I've met here..."

"Like with Miss Murrue?" He asked casually, though Mu could hear the almost silent note of intrigue in his voice.

Mu chuckled quietly, almost bitterly, not really sure how to answer that properly. He didn't know how to phrase things when it came to _her_, it became rather difficult sometimes. Putting his emotions into words was a bit of a challenge, especially when it involved her. Finally he sighed, ran his hand through his hair and said weakly, "I'm not sure. With her... It's different." He sighed again, and put his trust in the boy, saying quietly, "I think... I think I'm very sure that I love her. But... I'm very sure it's one-sided."

Kira blinked, taken aback by the added comment. He was perfectly fine with the first part of the blond man's explanation, it was the second part that confused him. 'Is he really that dense?' Keeping his voice calm and casual he asked, "Why do you think it's one-sided? Miss Murrue let you live with her without hesitation, she gave you a home without being asked to help. How does that give you the impression she doesn't care for you?"

Mu looked sheepish, knowing he had phrased his worries wrong and confused the boy. He quickly explained awkwardly, "I know she cares about me, I mean that's obvious enough, I just don't think it's in that way. And she said it herself, we were friends. She never hinted at anything more." He sighed weakly, feeling that familiar ache in his chest when he thought about her. "And she has a kid."

Kira sighed, looking back at the waves as he fell into silence. 'I promised Murrue I'd keep her secret. I can't go back on my word, she trusts me. But Mu is my friend too... I'm not sure what to say...' Finally he asked quietly, forcing himself to keep any serious emotion out of his voice, "Are you worried she's still in love with Bryan's father?"

"I have a lot of trouble thinking she isn't." Mu replied stonily, thinking about how she barely touched the subject the first time he inquired about it. "She rarely talks about him, and when she does, she always looks so pained. He's never showed up from what I've heard from her, never done anything for his own son, but still, the way she reacts when somebody mentions him... I just don't know how well I can compete with the father of the most important thing in her life. If I can at all."

"Maybe it's not that she's in love with him... But that he's just a painful memory?" Kira suggested hesitantly, wondering if Murrue would hit him over the head if she heard him saying this. "She might not want to talk about him because of that."

"I guess that could be a reason... It always looked like a tender subject, I never brought it up for her sake..." Mu muttered quietly, thinking deeply about things. She kept things between them friendly and casual, though there were those few moments that things had gotten very tense between them... 'That time when she scraped her knee... Outside on the porch... It felt like there could be more... But what if it was nothing but that? A feeling?'

"It proves that what you feel for her is genuine." Kira said wisely, smiling a little as if he could read the older man's thoughts. His gaze never left the ocean when he continued quietly, "Worrying and obsessing over the 'what ifs' won't do anything but intensify the problem. As far as I can see, you really only have two options. You can drop it, and try to forget how you feel about her, which may only end up hurting you both in the long run, or you can try to tell her how you feel... From how well I know Miss Murrue, which I'd like to think is fairly well, she'd want to know the truth. But in the end... It's up to you."

Mu sighed wearily, looking over at the kid, who was still looking away, gaze focussed on something he couldn't see. After a long moment of deliberation he muttered, "I want to tell her, I just don't know how. I don't think I'm ready to risk my friendship with her just yet..."

"Do you like Bryan Mu?"

Mu blinked, completely caught off guard by the sudden change of tact. "Wha?" He blinked several times, trying to catch up with the boy's sudden change. "What does this have to do with-"

"Just answer the question."

"I love the kid!" Mu burst out in alarm, the truth coming out so forcefully he was fairly alarmed at himself. "How couldn't I? As far as I care, he could be my own son with how much I like him."

Kira grinned, the first real one Mu had seen since meeting him. He said cheerfully, voice crackling with amusement and actual friendly banter, "You love Miss Murrue. And you love her son. You're set. Miss Murrue can probably see that you love Bryan, and I know he's just as attached to you as you are to him. That's already one step closer to her affection. And if you honestly love her too, there's no way she won't see that. All you need to do is get it in the open. Would you regret turning down her offer now? With all you've lived through in the past three months? If you could go back, would you change your decision?"

"To hell I wouldn't." Mu snapped fiercely, wondering just where the hell this was all coming from. "I love being with her. And I want to keep being with her, regardless."

The kid grinned again, even more broadly this time. He said pleasantly, getting to his feet and looking quite proud of himself, "Well then, there's your answer. I'll see you later Mu." Chuckling to himself he walked back down the beach, soon fading from view.

Mu watched the kid's back until he was too far from view, and he scowled at the dirt at his feet, grumbling, "That damn kid just made me admit out loud what I've been trying to deny for three months. The damn kid."

Murrue arrived home a little while later, Bryan running into the house ahead of her, laughing fit to burst. The moment the door was shut she was wrapped up tight in a bear hug, and felt a pair of lips press themselves to her cheek. All she could manage in her position was a rather breathless squeak. She felt rather than heard his deep chuckle, and squeaked softly, "Someone's happy to see me."

Mu pulled away and released her, azure eyes brimming with amusement, "Always am." He kissed the tip of her nose, ruffled her hair playfully and then pounced on Bryan. The little boy squealed in delight as Mu picked him up, tossed him into the air and caught him again, tickling his sides mercilessly.

Murrue placed one hand on the top of her racing heart, the other pressed against her cheek where he had kissed her. She stood there rather in a daze, only able to watch the two boys play. After a few very long moments she began to try to put herself back together.

She heard her son's voice cry out delightedly "Daddy!" and froze, eyes widening in shock. The entire house seemed to have frozen, and she stared in surprise at Mu, who was staring back at her with an equally surprised expression. After a few long tense moments she forced herself to smile very weakly and nodded, tearing her gaze away.

Mu coughed softly, not sure what to make of the new trouble. Hoisting Bryan onto his lap he said quietly into the boy's hair, "You shouldn't call me that Bryan... You don't want to upset your mom."

"Mommy doesn't look angry." Bryan replied in that curious voice he had when he was puzzled, peeking over to see his mother in the kitchen. He looked at Mu, taking in the serious expression for a very long time before he said meekly, "Won't say it again."

The next few hours passed with relative tension, the two not able to really speak until the little boy had been put to bed. Finally when they both were at the sink doing the dishes, Mu apologized quietly to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to say that..."

"I'm not very surprised." Murrue told him softly, placing the last plate in the next sink for him to dry. She wrung out the dishtowel and hung it over the faucet, drying her hands on the front of the apron she'd been wearing. "You two have gotten very close over the past while... Of course he'd start to see you as his father."

Mu dried off the plate with incredible slowness, digesting that. He put it away before he looked over at her again, noticing she was avoiding his gaze. "It made you uncomfortable though."

"Not really, it was just a little bit of a jolt to hear him say it." Murrue replied softly, looking at the floor as she tried to undo the ties behind her back, her shivering fingers really not doing the job.

"Why aren't you looking me in the eye then?"

Murrue blinked, before she immediately looked up at him, meeting his serious gaze. She blushed and quickly looked down again.

Mu took a few steps closer, taking her hands in his though she still refused to look up at him. "Look... I really am sorry I made you so uncomfortable. I don't want to do that to you, really I don't. I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry, you don't have anything to apologize for." Murrue snapped fiercely, frustration getting the best of her as she met his eyes again. "Dammit, if anything I'm actually very happy Bryan's so attached to you!" She blushed fiercely and looked down at the ground, shyness getting the best of her as she mumbled awkwardly, "I'm getting attached to you too."

"Murrue..."

Murrue looked up nervously, blushing fiercely when she recognized that soft light in his eyes. He released her hands, reaching up to gently skin his fingertips over her cheek. Very slowly he leaned in, and she closed her eyes when his lips brushed gently against hers.

Heat literally exploded from where her body melted against his, and self control flew out the window as she clung to him as the kiss steadily grew more passionate. Somehow during the heated exchange she had ended up becoming pinned against the counter, her hands gripping the front of his shirt as his were resting on her hips.

"Is Bryan asleep?" Mu asked huskily between another kiss, breathing coming in short bursts as she eagerly pushed forwards for another kiss.

"Yes." Murrue nearly groaned, her thin arms thrown around his shoulders to pull him closer to her, closing her eyes as he bent forwards to kiss her again. His hands moved to the small of her back, pushing her willing body closer to his, the friction slowly driving her insane.

Finally they broke apart, Mu resting his forehead on her shoulder as her laboured breathing echoed in his ear. Her hands had found their way into his hair, causing it to look quite messier than before, his arms were still wound tightly around her middle. He heard her whisper a very dazed "Wow" into his ear and he chuckled weakly despite himself. He jokes hoarsely, "I have that affect on people."

"You have that affect on me." Murrue corrected him faintly, knees trembling still from the force of the kiss. In fact her entire body was shivering somewhat madly, heart running rampant in her chest, hammering so loudly she was sure he could hear it. He chuckled again, nuzzling gently into her neck.

"Are we okay now?"

"We're definitely okay."

Somehow slowly they untangled themselves, but Mu had the last laugh as he brushed his lips gently against hers one last time. "Goodnight." He whispered quietly, earning a soft reply from her before they parted ways. He made his way to his room, shrugged out of his shirt and collapsed on the bed with a loud sigh. 'Thank you.'

It took awhile, his mind buzzing with the fresh memory of the kiss. But somehow his body relaxed and sleep took him.

"_Hello lover." She murmured quietly, brushing back her hair as she stood scantily clad on the beach, the moonlight giving her a rather ethereal glow. She laughed quietly at his awed expression, winding a lock of hair around her fingers, the basically transparent gown she was wearing giving him the view he'd always wanted._

"_Wow." He whispered back, eyes widened as she walked towards him, slowly, smiling seductively all the while. The sand of the beach was a basic white, shining luminously in the full moonlight. And then she was there, in his arms, her mouth on his, hot and demanding._

_They fell back into the sand together, Mu was quick to help her discard her gown, mouth trailing a hot path down her creamy pale skin. He rasped against her neck, clutching her svelte form to his, "God you're beautiful Murrue..."_

"_I love you." She moaned into his ear, thin fingers combing through his hair as his lips continued to move slowly down her front as her clothing was swiftly removed beforehand. "Mu."_

_Moving his hands slowly down her now bare sides, he continued to kiss every inch of her skin he could reach. He whispered her name huskily, refusing to let her go. "Murrue... Dammit..."_

"_Oh..." She sighed pleasurably, throwing her head back against the yielding sand as his mouth only continued to search lower down her body. "Yes... Mu..."_

"Ugn." Mu woke up groaning, blinking away the daze the dream had left him in. Shaking the static out of his ears he sat up and ran his hands idly over his face. Groaning loudly again he flopped back onto the bed. "Dammit. Why couldn't I just stay asleep?"

**AN**

**XD You can blame three things for this chapter. First, my medication. Second, way too much time on my hands. And third, two certain woman who have really rubbed off on me XD Though really, what better way to celebrate than with hawt tension and a naughty dream? Besides it was Mu's turn anyway XD Rofl, yay!**

**Sky**


	11. Chapter 10

"Tell me a secret."

"_You_ tell me a secret." Murrue replied with a laugh, glancing over her shoulder at him, not really able to move very well because of how he was holding onto her. She was sitting between his legs, his arms wound around her middle, holding her snugly. It was actually quite late, the television was still on, but nothing besides reruns were being shown.

"I don't have anything to tell." Mu whined back, nuzzling enticingly into her neck, earning another giggle. "C'mon, please? It's boring just sitting here with nothing to do."

"So what, you want to play twenty questions?" Murrue asked with raised eyebrows, squirming around in his embrace to fix him with a questioning glance. He grinned hopefully at her and she sighed, rolling her eyes but rested her head on his shoulder anyway. "Oh alright... But I get to go first."

"Fine with me, as long as we're doing something." Mu answered cheerfully, nuzzling once more into her neck as they settled back into a more comfortable position. "Alright then, ask away."

"What's your favourite colour?"

"Marigold."

Murrue blushed brilliantly, both somewhat startled and very flattered by his answer. She had fully expected him to say 'red', that had been what he'd have said before, because it was hers as well. He was grinning brilliantly at her, looking completely sincere and that only really made her blush more. She finally mumbled, "Okay, okay... Your turn..."

"Okay..." Mu looked thoughtful, crinkling his nose as he thought, she giggled, reaching out to gently touch the scar on the bridge of his nose. He laughed and shook his head, but caught her hand to press a gentle kiss to her fingers. "Alright, what's your favourite flower?"

"Roses." Murrue answered without missing a beat, grinning from ear to ear as she remembered the days she spent as a child in her mother's rose garden. She had fallen in love with the flowers. "Red roses are my favourite... White roses are beautiful too..."

Mu grinned as well, knowing exactly what he would be getting her tomorrow when she arrived home from work. He took her hands in his, resting them on her stomach as they sat together. "Your turn to ask..."

"Favourite person?"

"Kira." Mu answered with a completely stone face, earning a very baffled look from Murrue. He started to laugh after a few short moments and nuzzled playfully into her hair again. "Of course it's you silly, why did you even have to ask?"

Murrue giggled sheepishly, leaning into the treatment as she laced her fingers in with his. 'Still that was a pretty odd answer, I thought he was actually serious for a second...' "Okay, okay, your go..."

"Hmm." He looked thoughtful again, looking around the living room as if trying to find inspiration. "Okay! Here's one, your favourite memory?"

Murrue blinked, and quickly bit down on her first impulsive answer. 'Our first kiss.' She thought about that one for a little, and found herself torn between two answers. Looking very thoughtful, she finally sighed and grumbled, "I can't decide."

"Uh huh, you gotta pick one." Mu teased, poking her gently in the sides, trapping her in his arms. "Or tell me both of them."

"That's not fair..." Murrue grumbled again, pouting as she thought about her answers. 'I guess I could say our first kiss... technically we did have two first kisses... But then there's that moment when I held Bryan for the first time...' "Alright, alright... Our first kiss..." She blushed a little, and felt his hand give hers a gentle squeeze before continuing softly, "And the moment when I first held Bryan."

Mu grinned outright, looking both very proud of himself and admiring of her answer. "Good answers. Your go now."

"Hm..." She pursed her lips in thought, glancing around the room and then back to him as she tried to find a question to ask. "Okay alright, what was your favourite memory?"

"One that I remember or have made?" Mu asked rhetorically but she only grinned and he thought about that for a long while. He finally answered sweetly, "Meeting you and your son for the first time. That's my favourite memory." He thought about his turn to ask a question, and was well aware of her snuggling backwards into his arms more, sighing comfortably. "Okay, what were Bryan's first words?"

"Mommy." Murrue answered rather shyly, blushing a little as she remembered the day he looked up at her with those wide emerald eyes, lifted his arms and called out 'mommy' to her. She smiled a little, that was certainly a memory she held dear to her heart. She peeked over her shoulder at him, looking thoughtful. "Hm... Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity." Mu answered sweetly, nuzzling into her neck again to earn a soft little laugh. He pursed his lips, thinking of another question to ask. "Why the name 'Bryan'?"

Murrue smiled a little, thinking that one over for a few long moments. "Well... To be honest, I've always wanted a son named Bryan. And it seems to suit him, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does... And that's one of your questions." Mu teased triumphantly, and she scowled in outrage but pouted instead of arguing with him. "Hmm, okay, another question... Who are his godparents?"

"Kira and Lacus are, and also Erica..." Murrue mused, stopping herself before she added Rin. The blond had made it clear she didn't want Mu to know about her, not just yet anyway. Murrue would keep her word. "And he's spoiled by each and every one off them."

"He doesn't seem like he's spoiled." Mu remarked with a chuckle, thinking about how polite the little boy was. He also seemed eager to please the people around him as well, he was very well-behaved.

"Oh they love him." Murrue replied with a vague gesture, leaning back on his chest as she gazed up at the ceiling. "He can't help it I suppose... He's just too cute for his own good." She pursed her lips again, thinking of a question to ask him next. "Hm.." She looked at him again, seriously regarding his face for a long moment. She asked softly, reaching out to brush his bangs away from his face, "What do you remember about your childhood?"

"Not very much." Mu answered honestly with a little bit of a shrug, noticing how she looked both pained and sympathetic for him. He shrugged again, forcing a smile onto his face. "Hey, don't look so sad for me, I'll remember eventually won't I? It's perfectly fine." He ruffled her hair and added sweetly, "Nice to see you care so much though." He now paused, thinking of the few questions that had really begun to circle in his mind. "Hm..."

"Tick tock Mu."

Mu pulled a serious face, thinking hard about what to ask. He was sure she'd noticed as well, the questions had slowly been getting more and more personal as they went on. 'I want to ask about Bryan's father... But I don't know just how personal we've gone just yet...' "Where'd ya grow up when you were little?"

"I was born in Alaska, but we moved quite a few times... Most of the memories I have from my early childhood were in Alaska, but my teenage years were spent in Montreal, and quite a bit in Copernicus and Heliopolis..." Murrue answered, remembering with a certain fondness just how wild she'd been growing up in Canada. The Academy had hated her and her friends. "Most of my childhood was spent in Alaska though, we started moving when I was roughly ten or so..." She blushed a little, remembering with embarrassment the stories she had to live with from her now grown academy friends. "I was quite the... Well, free-spirited sort when I was growing up." She watched him for a few long moments, and felt that familiar gnawing sensation in her stomach when she wondered about the two years he spent away from her in Alaska. Finally she asked hesitantly, "Did you have any... Any girlfriends in Alaska during that two years?"

Mu blinked, taken aback by the question and the hesitant way she asked him. He was very startled she asked, even more so the softly pained way she had given him the question. He gently brushed her hair out of her eyes, but she inched away from him, wanting an answer. He said casually, truthfully, "The occasional nurse liked to flirt with me when I was recovering, but they don't count."

Murrue sighed in relief, not realizing she had been holding her breath until he'd answered. She relaxed back into his lap, noticing she'd also gotten very stiff in that short moment of silence.

Mu watched her for a long moment, having more than noticed she had been stiff when she asked, almost as if she was scared to hear him admit to having girlfriends. He took his chance while they were on the topic, knowing if he didn't do it now he may not do it ever. "Where's Bryan's father?"

Murrue stiffened immediately and unconsciously bit her lower lip. Very slowly she edged out of his lap and out of his arms, and only when she was out of his touch did she look at him again. Taking a shaky breath, she asked him weakly, "Why do you ask?"

"You never talk about him." Mu pointed out quietly, watching her eyes flicker before they looked down at her lap, her hands curling into fists there. "And if the topic ever comes up, you shy away from it. He never comes around to visit Bryan, you never mention him paying you child-support or anything, it's like he just dropped off the face of the planet."

Murrue winced at every single stinging word, as if it were a physical blow. She continued to stare at her lap, hating herself for not being able to reply. 'I can't tell him, I can't go out and say he's yours that's why the damn father doesn't even exist! What do I say? Do I lie and tell him that the bastard left me?'

Mu finally broke the silence, voice weary and defeated, "I just... I don't know how to compete with somebody that I don't know anything about."

Murrue stared at him in surprise, and before she had any idea what she was doing, she was back in his lap, kissing him. He made a muffled sound of surprise against her mouth, but it only took him a moment before his arms wound tightly around her body to pull her closer. Her fingers wound gently through his hair, seeking more from him as he crushed her against his body for a few heated moments. Finally they broke apart, breathing raggedly. Murrue hugged him with all her strength, whispering painfully into his ear, "I never... I never meant to make you feel like you were competing for me. Mu... There's no one for you to compete with. No one."

Mu blinked, chest heaving with an effort to get oxygen again, completely winded and caught off guard. She was hanging onto him with everything she had, as if scared he was going to vanish. Slowly he straightened a little and pulled her closer into a better fit, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You never talked about him, I was scared that you... That you still loved him. That I... Didn't have a chance."

Murrue winced when she felt the tears come, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she clung to him tightly. Shivering slightly she murmured, voice muffled by his shoulder, "I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I'm so sorry Mu." She straightened a little, feeling a cold tear making its way down her cheek as her lips found his ear again, "You don't need to try so hard... You already have me."

"Come here." Mu whispered roughly, catching her mouth again in a bruising passionate kiss. She was more than happy to reply, tugging him closer as they wound up lying down on the large couch. Somehow in the mad rush his shirt was hastily removed, and she tenderly traced the scars on his chest before kissing him again. His hands found the hem of her shirt and tugged gently, as if asking permission.

Murrue whispered brokenly as his lips searched for hers over and over again, "Sorry... But..." He leaned back, his lust-darkened eyes staring intensely into hers. She swallowed weakly, shivering madly from his caresses, "Not yet." He nodded, looking slightly disappointed but completely accepting. He tugged her back onto him, holding her tightly.

Minutes faded into hours, and finally Mu blinked dazedly, having realized he had faded off into sleep. Stretching carefully he realized there was a warm weight in his arms and he chuckled softly. 'She fell asleep...' Nuzzling gently into her neck he watched her sleep for a few long moments.

He laughed a little when she smiled in her sleep, cuddling up to him again, sighing softly. 'She's cute when she smiles like that...' Very slowly and carefully he slipped from the couch and carefully picked the sleeping woman up into his arms. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep, murmuring his name. He smiled.

He carried her into her room, awkwardly pulled back the blankets and set her down. He tucked her in, and sat beside her, unable to resist having a few moments. He tenderly stroked her hair, watching her sleep peacefully. He leaned in, brushing a gentle kiss to her lips for a moment and he whispered softly into her ear, "I love you..."

"Mu..."

Mu chuckled softly again when she murmured his name, and he stroked her hair in an absent fashion as he watched her sleep. He was well aware of time flying by, but he really didn't care. He leaned down again, muttering softly into her ear, "I really want to stay with you and Bryan forever if you'd let me... I love you, and your little boy... Sleep well Murrue... I'll see you in the morning. I love you."

He got to his feet, taking care not to make any noise as he crept out of the room. He paused for a second at the door, watching her sleep. He smiled, slid out of the room and silently closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Mm..." Murrue sighed softly as she stretched lazily, waking to the soft familiar feeling of her bedsheets. "Hmmm?" Blinking away sleep, she stretched again, coming to her senses after a few more minutes. She unconsciously pat the soft mattress and then bolted upright in bed in alarm. 'I fell asleep on the couch last night, didn't I? How did I...?'

She closed her eyes, remembering the feeling of being lifted into the air, coupled with the feeling of a feather-light kiss. 'I dreamt that, didn't I...?'

"_I love you..."_

The blush came fiercer than she expected, and she squeaked in alarm, clutching the sheets to her body impulsively. 'I dreamt that, I know I did.' Very slowly she tossed back the covers, and quickly raced to change into different pajamas before tiptoeing outside. She didn't make it very far.

"Gotcha!"

"Eep!"

Mu chuckled, hugging her from behind, catching her tightly against him as he nuzzled into her neck. "There's the real sleeping beauty... Good morning."

"Mu, you scared me!" Murrue exclaimed in relief, placing her hand over her racing heart. She certainly hadn't expected him to be awake so early in the morning, he usually always slept in late. She blushed immediately, remembering just how she'd gotten into her bedroom last night. She murmured weakly, peeking over at him, "Did you carry me into my room last night?"

"Sure did." Mu told her proudly, giving her a sound kiss on the cheek, grinning from ear to ear. "And you look very cute when you're sleeping." Murrue squirmed, trying to get out of his arms as she only grew more flustered. He held her tightly though, making it impossible her to escape. Mu sighed inwardly, really enjoying the feeling of her body moving against his like that. Growing slightly more lustful, he whispered huskily into her ear, moving his hips slightly against her, "You better be careful Miss Ramius... Or I won't be responsible for what happens next."

Murrue blinked in surprise, before her eyes closed in bliss as his lips moved gently over her bare neck. She smiled impishly, and quickly replaced the look with one of angelic naivete, peeking over her shoulder at him. "What exactly would you be responsible for?"

"Don't play angel with me." Mu warned her in a growl, lips moving up her collarbone to her ear, trapping her effectively against him. "You know _exactly_ what I mean."

"Yes." The word came out a breathless moan, eyes closing impulsively as his mouth continued the torture. Her knees trembled as his mouth moved down from her ear to her neck again, finding that spot where she was sensitive. She cried out softly, and her knees buckled entirely but he held her firmly to him.

In one swift movement she was pressed against the wall, hands trapped above her head with one hand, his other moving lazily down her front. His mouth moved lazily down to het front, finding the first button of her rather skimpy looking shirt before he popped it loose. He whispered against her newly exposed skin, "I like what you're wearing..."

"If you like it so much..." Murrue moaned back, moving uselessly against his strong hold as he continued to unbutton her top with his teeth, "Why are you in such a hurry to get it off?"

He laughed huskily, finding her couldn't move any lower without releasing her hands. He looked up, meeting her dazed marigold eyes and he smirked. "Now this is a problem..." He exhaled lazily against the sensitive skin of her stomach, earning a weak whimper. Looking up at her he commanded roughly, "Keep your hands up."

"Are you going to frisk me or something?" Murrue asked him breathlessly, knees still shivering as he pressed a tiny kiss to her stomach again. "Because otherwise if you let me go, I'm jumping you."

"This is my game." Mu warned her lustfully, kissing her stomach again, earning another soft moan. "Hands up." Slowly he released her wrists, and she kept her hands up above her head. Smirking in approval, he finished with the last two buttons of her top, popping them loose easily. She sighed softly, and he looked back up to see she'd closed her eyes and was now resting her head against the wall. He couldn't help himself, he asked suggestively, "More?"

"Please." Murrue murmured back, keeping her eyes closed as she felt his mouth continuing to trail down her stomach. She wouldn't admit it to him, but it was a fight to keep herself standing, her knees were trembling something fierce. He idly nosed her shirt away from her body so he could get at her sides, and she whimpered softly in response. "Mu..."

"Ah..." Mu chuckled quietly, kissing the beginning to her shorts, moving his hands down her sides to touch her smooth legs. "I meant what I said before... I really do like it when you say my name." He was nearly on his knees in front of her now, she was moaning and whimpering as he continued to tease her. "Now, let me see... These shorts might be a problem..."

"You're my only problem right now." Murrue hissed through grit teeth, forcing herself to stay completely still as he'd ordered. He was driving her insane, she could barely breathe. She felt his teeth lock around her shorts and he tugged them down.

"That's better." Mu chuckled, eying her undergarments appreciatively. His hungry gaze roamed back up her body, noticing she was panting, her gaze focussed on him. Their eyes locked, and he grinned. He muttered huskily, kissing her stomach again, "A goddess... You're a damn goddess."

"If that's true..." Murrue whispered back, body shivering with anticipating as his clever hands moved down her hips to her legs again, "You best not keep me waiting." With that said she pounced, having had enough of him being in control, it was her turn. With a mighty gasp of surprise he landed on his back and she laughed triumphantly, landing neatly on top of him. She purred into his ear, "My turn."

"Yes ma'am." Mu groaned back, not having the courage or breath to tell her no. Her curious fingers roamed his chest for a few moments before with a quick flourish his shirt was tossed aside. He hissed quietly as she traced the scars on his chest carefully, and noticed when her gaze flickered back up to his eyes, concerned.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked softly, moving to take her hands away, but he caught her wrists and forced them back onto his chest.

"No. Don't... Take them away." Mu hissed through grit teeth, closing his eyes as she resumed her exploration, stroking the scars with tender care. He opened his eyes again after a few moments, watching the way she stared at the scars. She took her time, moving her fingers slowly, gently, over each and every one. He asked huskily, breathing raggedly, "Do they bother you?"

"No." Murrue murmured back softly, bending to touch her lips to the one across his nose. Her lips found his after another short moment, and she whispered against them, "I don't remember them from before... But they don't change the way I look at you now..."

He smiled against her lips, drawing away to sigh at the sensation of the cold tiles on his back. He watched her bend down over him, kissing the scars within her reach. Her touch was soft, gentle, tender and he muttered quietly to her, "You know... Nobody's ever done this to me before... I like it..."

"You got these by being a hero." Murrue whispered into his ear, her hands moving slowly down his sides now, tracing the outlines of his muscles. "I couldn't ever be disgusted by them."

"Murrue." Mu muttered back, catching her quickly to him and claiming her mouth in another hard kiss. She sighed into the exchange, wrapping her arms around his neck as she replied into it. When they broke for a shallow gasp of air he asked raggedly, "Should we keep this up on the kitchen floor?"

"This is your game, you pick." Murrue replied gamely, and he laughed, pushing himself up. In a fluid movement he picked her up, and she quickly wound her legs around his waist, kissing his neck and jaw as he moved awkwardly into the hall. He staggered and she laughed quietly as they fell into the wall of the hallway, staring lustfully into his eyes.

They made it into her bedroom before his legs gave in on him, and they collapsed laughing onto the bed. Murrue quickly regained her position on top, shrugging casually out her shirt. He grinned up at her, hands resting on her sides as she leaned down to catch another kiss.

Mu idly continued to move his hands around her to her back, and he found the strap for her bra and began to fiddle with the clasp. She giggled girlishly against his mouth, looking over her shoulder. "Need any help?"

"Quiet." He ordered huskily, silencing her with a quick kiss. She sighed and relaxed, letting him do what he wanted.

Murrue closed her eyes as she felt the strap loosen as he finally unlocked the clasp. She made to slip out of it when a clear little voice echoed through the hall, causing her to freeze.

"Mommy!"

Mu groaned loudly, and he heard Murrue echo the sound. He slumped back into the bed, wearing a scowl. "Dammit."

"I'm sorry." Murrue whispered weakly to him, reaching around her back to fix her bra. "Dammit..."

She couldn't find the other end of the damn strap and groaned in frustration before she felt his hands around her back. She froze, and his lips found her ear. He muttered huskily as he did the clasp for her, "Next time... I'm not going to wait... Kid or no kid, I'm going to make you mine."

Murrue trembled, and closed her eyes for a moment as his lips moved over her neck and ear, holding her captive for a few more moments. He slid her shirt on for her, quickly but spared a few extra seconds to kiss her again. He slowly released her, and she hurriedly pulled her shorts back on, staring at him apologetically. "I really am sorry Mu..."

"It's alright." Mu told her cheerfully, zipping up his pants as he stood up, stretching idly as he watched her watching him with doubt. He caught her in a hug and muttered softly into her ear, "Bryan comes first, I know that... Besides... Leaving it hanging like this really only makes me more eager to come back home to you."

"Stop it or else I'm going to ignore my own son for you." Murrue warned him weakly, and she quickly ran out the door to meet to her son's needs.

Mu chuckled, flopping back onto her bed and inhaling the scent of her. 'Dammit... I love her.'

**AN**

**A **_**very**_** big tease is me XD I barely managed to finish before my time was up, sorry if there's typos didn't have time to edit XD So anyway, lots of tension and an almost smut (big sweatdrop) but I have a promise for people who may want to kill me for leaving it hanging like that (cue another huge sweatdrop) There will be, (quote me on this) will be smuts next chapter!**

**Sky**


	12. Chapter 11

"So you're looking for a job?" Erica set down her clipboard, turning to look at her friend's boyfriend closely. He smiled sheepishly at her, almost nervously. She couldn't hide a smirk at the anxious expression on his face, feeling somewhat smug. 'Well at least he has some sort of idea of who he's up against.' "What exactly were you wanting to apply for?"

"I'm not exactly looking to apply..." Mu replied sheepishly, shrugging from one foot to another as he looked around the factory. He hadn't told Murrue he was coming to speak to Erica yet, they really hadn't spoken very much after that incident that morning. He tried to hide his smile, remembering just exactly how much she had enjoyed him being there with her. 'Pity we had to stop...' Forcing himself back to reality, he told the redhead weakly, "I was just wondering if you had any positions open that I could apply for in the future?"

"For somebody like you I'd have a few ideas..." Erica mused, looking him up and down unconsciously, sizing the man up. She'd never admit it aloud, especially in front of Murrue, but the man was an excellent choice for piloting work, still. She caught herself eying those scars on his forearms and face and winced inwardly, knowing Murrue would immediately protest against him piloting again. "But it all depends I guess..."

"Give me whatever you have." Mu insisted, urgent to find a job soon. He hadn't been able to pay the room and board he'd insisted on giving to Murrue yet, and he really did want to make sure all debts were settled. "I really need some options to pick from at least."

"Options? I can give you options..." Erica found herself saying with a little smile, and she walked full circle around the blond man, still looking him from head to toe. "Hmm... In my professional opinion, you're still in perfect shape to continue with piloting. We have openings for new test pilots for the Murasame, but I wouldn't recommend it, the initiation is pretty fierce and I don't know if you're up to it..."

That certainly caught Mu's ear, but he forced the little boy inside of him to sit back down and listened patiently to her as she continued with the list. He had to admit when she added she didn't think he was up to it, his ego certainly twitched. He had the sneaky suspicion she was baiting him, but he didn't jump. Besides the test piloting, she'd also recommended flight mechanics, or teaching, and also something close to factory work.

"Otherwise, I don't think there's much else really suited to you La Flaga." Erica finished with a little shrug, pursing her lips as she began to tap her foot slightly in thought. "Hm... You could always try the academy, they could always use some new thoughts... But really I don't have much to offer you."

Mu sighed weakly, and he looked over at one of the jets hanging around unused in the large hanger behind him. That little voice in the back of his head was singing again, and he felt that unquenchable urge to fly again. Trying to sound casual, he asked nonchalantly, "What is this so-called 'initiation' you mentioned?"

"The boys made it up, not me." Erica replied with a hint of a mischievous smile playing on her lips, eyes twinkling with playfulness. "I never went against it because I thought it was a fairly good idea... The newbie gets the honour of fighting it out with one of the best on their first runs. We get to test for your courage, smarts, skills, how you work under pressure, stamina, all in one easy shot. I think it's an excellent way to sort out the idiots from the talented few."

Mu coughed to hide his gasp of awe, he really would have been lying if he said he wasn't the least bit interested. Looking around casually, he asked, "Who is the best?"

"No idea." Erica replied cheerfully, both very amused that she could lie through her teeth and annoyed that she was sworn to secrecy about her best pilot. She could tell he wasn't buying it and she covered her tracks as fast as she could, "The boys frequently test each other, so 'the best' changes often. the top is normally the one with the most fights out of the week."

"Would it be okay if I watched one of the matches?" Mu asked before he could stop himself, really unable to help how interested he was. Erica glanced down at her watch and grinned broadly. She gestured to him and took off at a brisk pace, and he followed quickly. He was quite surprised when she took him outside of the factory, to one of the larger roped off areas outside.

Following the director into the booth, they took the elevator up and soon had a fantastic view of the large area waiting ahead. Erica spoke quickly with one of the men working there and grinned broadly when she stepped away. She turned back to Mu and told him cheerily, "You're in luck, two of the best are fighting today. Alright Mack," She turned to the man in the chair and shot him a brilliant smile, "let 'em loose."

Mu sat very close to the window, staring out at the makeshift battlefield with wide eyes. Out of the far hanger at the far end came a blue metal blur, and at the closest end stood another. The two mobile suits were nearly identical, except the blue one was slightly more boxier and equipped with more gun weaponry than anything else. The other was sleeker, its armour the original white, grey, but instead of the customary orange it was a brilliant ivy.

The blue Murasame flew fast, barrelling quickly towards the icy one. The machine simply stood there, looking as though the pilot wasn't even paying attention. This completely caught Mu off guard and he remarked weakly to the director, "That one's going down if it doesn't move."

"Just wait." Erica told him seriously, her gaze never leaving the stationary mobile suit. "If you were willing to bet me on what you just said... I'd risk my neck."

Out of nowhere a thunderous crash echoed fiercely, and Mu was completely shocked as the ivy mobile suit seemed to disappear for a split second. He realized after a moment it had ducked low, and then with its shield on its right arm slammed up with incredible force into the torso of the blue suit.

The blue was knocked back, staggered. Mu was just as confused as the pilot seemed to be, and like a wolf the ivy suit appeared out of nowhere and simply pounced. The blue machine fell back with another crash, and the ivy suit withdrew its beam saber in a flash.

"It's already over."

Mu turned in surprise at that, and watched the director smile and nod back at the scene and Mu quickly tuned to watch. He had half expected the saber to actually cut through the armour but instead he was shocked to see an odd residue-like trail appear where the saber 'cut'. In the time it took him to blink, the marks indicated the blue suit had lost each of its limbs and its head.

The battle won, the ivy suit hopped daintily from the fallen blue suit and the pilot called cheerfully over open channels, _"That was boring Simmons! You can't expect me to actually enjoy this! Bring on the newbies, I'm getting tired!"_

"Come on up to the tower then, I've got someone I want you to meet." Erica called with a little bit of a smirk spreading over her lips. She knew she would get in trouble for it, but she really couldn't resist.

It only took a few moments and the door burst open revealing the pilot to be wearing a sleek and well-fitting green pilot suit, her helmet tucked loosely under her arm. The helmet was green and more angular than normal, with a sleek feather on either side of the visor. On the right side of her pilot suit the similar insignia was shown, a sleek white feather. Her golden blond hair was done up into a neat and tight ponytail and she was grinning when she opened the door.

Erica expected her reaction and had to hold back a laugh when she saw her friend look over to see Mu. Her smile vanished immediately and was replaced with a very deadly looking scowl. A half second later the scowl was gone, replaced with a stone set smile. "Hi."

"Hi." Rin replied stiffly, gloved hands curling into tight fists at her sides. She was resolutely ignoring the other blond man, feeling the familiar dull throbbing in her temples. She asked stiffly, fighting hard to keep her voice level, "What was it you wanted to show me?"

"Rin, meet the new guy." Erica said with a broadening grin, gesturing to Mu who was staring in some small amount of surprise at the other blond. To say she was enjoying herself would be a total lie, she had never had to work so hard to not laugh before. "He watched your fight, he's interested."

Rin turned to look at him, turquoise eyes stone and face unyielding to emotion. After a moment she forced herself to smile, though her hands never uncurled at her sides. "Hi. I'm Rin."

"Mu La Flaga." Mu replied politely, stretching out his hand in a courteous gesture. She stared at it for a moment than after a second of hesitation reached out and shook. He drew back quickly, feeling a harsh surge of electricity race up from his hand. She seemed to have noticed it too, wincing when she drew back. "Sorry, static shock." She shrugged. Searching for some way to break the sudden tension he said hastily, "I'm a bit startled to see you're a woman... You fought so well."

Erica burst out laughing, feeling really sorry for the poor man. 'Well,' She thought with a snicker, 'it's not his fault he's so obtuse.' Rin was smirking at him, the smile real this time, eyes glittering with challenge. "I'm a woman, and I just kicked a man's ass. Does that surprise you?"

"Not really." Mu replied with a little smile, glancing over at Erica and remembering Murrue. "I've met some very tough women in my time..." He looked her over, a little startled. She was athletic, very dramatically so, as if she had been trained as a gymnast or something, she carried herself confidently as well. Her hair was tied back tightly, but the way her eyes sparkled and her mouth naturally curved into a smile, he knew she was much more carefree then she was letting on. "So... Rin, are you the best Erica's been talking about?"

Much to everyone's surprise the blond blushed. She shot a weak glance at Erica, though her eyes told her she wasn't off the hook she still looked modest. Scuffing her shoe on the floor, she muttered sheepishly, "That's up to Erica."

Erica laughed, completely amused by Rin's outrageous show of modesty. The woman was normally just as cocky as her brother was, it was strange for her to be so flustered. "Well you're just full of surprises today Rin! First you're blushing and then you use my first name? I'm amazed."

Mu chuckled, watching the blond glance away, blushing a little bit more at the attention, the two women were obviously quite close. He studied the blond again, something seemed achingly familiar about her, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Um, sorry, but I never caught your last name...?"

Rin coughed, blinking in shock before her mind started working crazily. 'Uh... Oh damn, I don't have an alias I use on hand... Shit!'

"Curtis." Erica said abruptly, noticing Rin's panic before Mu did. She shook her head at Rin, looking much like a very scolding mother. "Rin Curtis, that's her name. Geez girl, get some rest you've been at it for way too long." She glanced apologetically at Mu and said cheerfully, "Anyway, sorry to send you off so quickly but I've got some business to take care of... Take all the time you need to think the offer over, okay?"

Mu nodded and waved to both women before he hurried out to leave them to their business. The hero-worship in Rin's eyes fled quickly with her brother and she returned to glaring at the redhead as she remembered she had been mad. She growled seriously, "If you weren't pregnant, I'd have punched you by now."

"By all means, I'm pretty sure I can handle you." Erica replied with a widening smirk, not wanting to use her condition as an excuse to avoid punishment. Which was one reason she hadn't told Murrue yet.

"My brother Simmons?" Rin demanded, throwing her hands up into the air in a fit of exasperation. "Of all people, why my brother?"

"I want him." Erica replied simply, smirking when Rin's scowl grew more pronounced.

"If I don't get to you, Murrue certainly will." Rin warned her with narrowed eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she met Erica's just as intense glare. "She isn't going to let you have him. She narrowly avoided losing him to the suit, do you honestly think she's going to let him get in again without a fight?"

"Yes, I do."

"You're mental." Rin exclaimed with a cry of shock, never having heard someone answer such insanity with a straight face. "Completely and utterly mental! You do remember who it is Mu's dating, right? Are you suicidal?!"

"I know who he's involved with." Erica answered calmly, not looking the least concerned. She nearly smiled, looking completely confident in what she was saying. "Murrue isn't going to put up a fight if Mu goes to her about what he's going to do."

"Your child has affected your rational mind Simmons." Rin said with a shake of her head, eyes still wide as she absorbed Erica's clear insanity. "I know Murrue. I know how much she loves Mu. She_ is not_ going to let him into a mobile suit again."

"Yes she will." Erica said with a growing smile, flicking her hair over her shoulders. "Because I know Murrue too, Rin. She'll let him pilot. Just wait and see."

"When do you plan to be buried? I'll book it off work."

* * *

"You look excited... You've been like that since you got home, what happened today?" Murrue asked curiously, peeking up at her boyfriend. He had been grinning broadly when he came home today, given her a quick peck on the mouth before playing with Bryan. They had curled up together on the couch now that the boy was down for the night, and she was eager to see what had gotten him in such high spirits.

"Well... Think I might have a job lined up for me." Mu replied with a little smile, and he saw her face brighten up in pride and delight.

"Oh really? That's wonderful!" Murrue chirped delightedly, rewarding the man's good news with a swift kiss on the cheek. She hugged him closer, nuzzling gently into his neck. "I know you've been trying really hard to find one, this is great news!"

"But... I'm not sure if I'm going to take the job though." Mu added weakly, and she pulled away, looking at him in confusion.

"Why? Haven't you been looking hard to find one?" Murrue asked him confusedly, watching him smile sheepishly as run a hand through his hair.

"Well see... I don't know if I should take it yet." Mu explained quietly, sitting up a little to hold her more securely in his lap. She was watching him with much surprise and bewilderment, but let him continue without interruption. "I was offered it today, but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you before I said yes. And if you don't want me to do it, then I'm not going to do it. Whole reason I never said yes to begin with."

"What's the job?"

"Test piloting, for Morgenroete."

Murrue blinked, taken aback completely. She shivered unconsciously, and stared at him in amazement for a few long moments. 'After that little speech, I... I half expected him to tell me he was offered a military position. And he... He didn't say yes, he... He told me about it first?' Her chest tightened with emotion, and before she knew what she'd done, she was in his lap again, kissing him fiercely.

"Whoa!" Mu nearly fell off the couch by the force of her attack, but he didn't complain as her hands quickly tangled in his hair, the kiss leading them down amazingly fast. He gasped as she pulled away for chance to breathe, staring at her in sheer awe. "Holy shit... I didn't think you'd take it this well."

"Shirt off now." Murrue growled into his ear, and he was quick to obey, and as soon as the garment was off she jumped again. Mouth seeking his in a frantic exchange, his hands found her hips and pulled her into a better fit against him.

Mu nearly groaned, closing his eyes as she expertly moved her hips against his, causing the needed friction to arouse the pleasure again. Leaning his head back against the armrest, he whispered into her mouth as their lips met again, "What brought this on?"

"You asked me." Murrue murmured back against his lips, eyes closed and body moving on its own accord as he trapped her easily against him again. She pulls away, her somewhat dazed marigold eyes meeting his intense azure ones. "You cared enough to ask me first. I don't know many pilots who'd wait long enough to ask their girlfriends before agreeing to go through with it." Eyes tender with love, she reached out to gently brush back his hair from his face. "They just jump. And you didn't even tell me what it was before you said you'd decline if it wasn't alright with me."

Mu hungrily pulled her back down to him as he kissed her fiercely to silence her. She didn't argue once, simply melting into his arms as he searched her mouth with his own for a long moment.

In the exchange she ended up lying below him, arms thrown uselessly around his shoulders, staring up at him. He kissed her gently on the mouth before he began to move his lips down her front. "I love you." He muttered wearily against the sensitive skin of her neck, breathing in her scent as he continued to mark a trail of kisses down her skin. "There's plenty of other jobs... There's only one you."

"Bedroom. Now." Murrue moaned into his ear, closing her eyes as his mouth wreaked pure havoc on her body. He didn't waste a moment, whisking her from the couch, mouth never leaving her skin as he carried her down the hall to the bedroom. They collapsed there together, and Mu quickly regained his position above her.

Smirking at this, he whispered into her ear, "Now this seems familiar..." She laughed breathlessly, giving him all he needed to goad him onwards. Moving his lips down her front once more, he made short work of her blouse, and she held onto him as he helped her shrug out of it, whispering what he wanted to do with her into her ear.

"Ah... Mu..." Murrue murmured softly against his mouth as they kissed again, and with a quick fluid motion she ended up on top of him again, laughing gently at his surprised expression. Slowly she traced invisible lines down his chest before seeking out the scars again. Very gently, nearly lazily, she began to trace them, hearing him sigh in pleasure. "No distractions this time Mu... It's just you and me tonight..."

"Good." Mu hissed back, and he watched raptly as she moved quickly to slip out of her pants. He kicked his own off just as fast and she giggled before straddling him again. His hands found her hips and moved her willing body gently against his, earning a loud pleasured sigh.

"Oh that feels nice..." Murrue sighed again, closing her eyes as she let him direct her body for a few more minutes. Arching her back a little to feel more, she let out another soft sigh. "Mu..."

"I'm here." Mu whispered raggedly into her neck, propping himself up to clutch her tightly against him again. Mouth roaming hungrily down her pale skin he kissed whatever was left to his sight. She never once argued against it, murmuring softly to urge him onwards. He ran his index finger over the hem of her bra, and she finally opened her eyes to meet his. "This really does need to go..."

"You can't do it fast enough." Murrue teased, and he sulked. Laughing softly, she took his hands and let them up her stomach. With no further help he continued to trail his hands up her svelte body and it only took a moment before his hands moved to the wispy fabric of her bra.

Stroking the fabric lazily, he watched her eyes flutter closed at the attention, and she bit her lower lip. He chuckled softly, amused by her reaction to him. Propping himself up on his elbows, he kissed her bra-line gently and found himself asking hoarsely, "Did you feed him by...?"

"Yes." Murrue moaned softly as she squeezed her eyes shut against the sensation of his lips pressing through the fabric. Moving restlessly against him as he continued the torture, she grumbled in frustration, "Dammit Mu, take it off!"

"Your wish is my command love." Mu chuckled, reaching behind her to quickly do away with the piece of clothing. He leaned back to enjoy the view, smirking when she blushed a little at his stare. "Wow." He said softly, tugging her down to pull her flush against him.

"You know you don't look half bad yourself." Murrue murmured playfully into his ear, and he chuckled before sealing the deal with another fierce kiss. He made very short work of her underwear, and after his were torn off, it only took moments before he buried himself deep into her.

She gasped sharply against his neck, and stiffened against him. He froze quickly, hissing softly against her ear at the sensation. He asked raggedly, refusing to move until she replied, "Are you okay?"

"Fine... It's just... Been awhile..." Murrue murmured back weakly, and she was taken aback by the sudden rush of pleasure that hit her when he moved slightly. "Oh..."

"There we go." Mu began the slow pace, and was startled by how quickly she adjusted to his beat. It only took a few seconds before she was replying to him.

Tangled in the sheets and in each other, the night seemed to last forever as the pleasure rose and fell, and continued in that delirious cycle. It seemed like forever had passed before they collapsed together for the last time, shivering and panting as the last of the shockwaves began to die down for the final time.

Murrue came to her senses first, waking up encased in his arms and the blankets. Blinking away sleep she stretched a little, taking a glance over her shoulder at her clock. She smiled a little when she saw the time. 'Two a.m... I've got forever...' Sighing contentedly she snuggled back into his arms.

She wasn't very surprised that he was already fast asleep, she traced the scar on his chest tenderly for a few minutes, watching his sleeping face. 'He looks even more handsome than I remember... But that might just be me saying things... I love him anyway.' She smiled. Closing her eyes, she relaxed again in his arms and let sleep come.

**AN**

**Rofl SMUTS XD And on no medication either, lmao, you ought to be proud. Lol, I kinda feel like I didn't do good enough compared to yesterday's manic episode (kinda of an inside joke, you had to be there XD), but oh well, I can name at least three people who've been waiting impatiently, so there's your smuts and remember, I'm fragile, be careful with your tackles. XD**

**Sky**


	13. Chapter 12

"Morning sleeping beauty..."

"Mmm..." Murrue woke to a feather light touch on her stomach, and hazily looked over her shoulder to see Mu watching her with a smile. Dreamily she returned it, and he chuckled softly and touched his lips against hers in a small kiss. "Morning..."

"We slept late..." Mu remarked quietly, glancing over at the clock, but truth be told he really couldn't care less. He stretched his aching muscles with a wince, and he chuckled softly when he saw a mirroring pained expression on his lover's face. "Yeah I feel it too... We were up very late last night..."

"And we pay for it in the morning." Murrue grumbled, rubbing her sore shoulders gingerly. "Ow..." She froze suddenly, feeling his hands moving gently and soothingly over her sore muscles. Eyes fluttering, closed she murmured softly, "Mu... Stop that..."

"You don't really want me to stop." Mu teased quietly, rubbing her shoulders gently. She didn't have an answer for him, or if she did he didn't hear it. She relaxed entirely into his arms, sighing softly as the gentle message started to do its job. "There we go... doesn't that feel better?"

"You know it does you cheater..." Murrue mumbled grumpily, opening one eye to glare at her lover who was grinning broadly at her in reply. He laughed at her frown and hugged her closer, nuzzling into her neck. Unable to help it she gave in to her laughter, squirming slightly to try to escape. "Let go, that tickles!"

"Nah." Mu laughed back, securing her tightly to him. After a few more minutes of the torture he quit the tickling and she relaxed again, leaning slightly on his chest as they lay entangled on the bed. He absently started to toy with a lock of her hair, smiling when she leaned into the treatment. "I love you..."

"I know." Murrue replied softly to him, reaching out to trace the scar over his nose tenderly. He smiled and closed his eyes, prompting her to inch forward to snatch a small kiss. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Probably as sore as you are, but fine." Mu laughed when she looked anxious, and hugged her just a bit closer to ease her anxiety. "Don't look so worried, it's my fault anyway... Though I have to tell you, you are amazing in bed."

Blushing despite herself, she looked away shyly, hearing him laugh. He nuzzled gently into her neck, and she melted again, watching him watching her with that warm grin she had fallen in love with. Again. "Same goes to you Mu... I'm exhausted..." Stretching lazily she curled up against him, amazed by how the intimacy between them seemed as though he'd never been gone.

Mu was revelling in the same thing, quite amazed to feel how utterly familiar it seemed to him. He idly had started to stroke patterns down her back as she snuggled into the crook of his arm. Nothing about the sudden and newfound intimacy seemed strange to him, it was like the most natural thing in the world. He whispered into her hair, closing his eyes as he inhaled the scent of roses, "I love you..."

"Mmm... I love you too."

Getting up wasn't easy for either of them, not as if they couldn't leave the bed they simply didn't want to. Finally they somehow managed to pull themselves out of the bed, separate to dress and prepare for the day. She quite literally bumped into him in the kitchen, and he caught her around the waist to trap her close to him again.

"You know if you keep doing this to me, we'll never make it out of the house." Murrue mumbled weakly against his mouth, feeling his questing hands moving slowly down her back. She didn't fight with him, instead wound her arms loosely around his shoulders and kissed him back.

Mu smiled into the kiss, and pushed her up against the counter as he decided to pursue a more promising target. Mouth moving from her own to her neck he heard her sigh pleasurably into his hair, and felt her relaxing against him. "I can't help it you know..." He told her raggedly, continuing to press kisses to her neck and jaw, holding her tightly between him and the marble counter, "You're just too damn irresistible.."

"When we get caught like this one day..." Murrue told him wearily as he caught her mouth again in another blazing kiss, "I'm yelling rape."

Mu laughed outrageously at the comment, knowing she'd never be able to do it but it was fun enough to joke about it. "Yeah, okay..." He gave her a gentle peck to the cheek and said sweetly, "Well I've got to go and inform my new boss, who is also your boss, that I'd like to work for her." He paused and then gave her another long look. "Though you never really did say anything about me working there... What's the decision Murrue?"

"I am worried... I can't lie about that." Murrue finally said after a long moment of silence, turning from the counter to look at him seriously. She reached out gently, touching the scar on his nose and whispered weakly, "I don't know what I'd do if... You didn't come back..." He took her hand and gently pressed a kiss to the back, holding it tightly between his. Forcing a weak smile onto her face she placed her other hand on his cheek and added softly, "But I trust you. And you've already proved you care more about me then your own personal happiness... And as sweet as that I Mu, I want to see you be happy too. You can do it, but on one condition."

"Anything."

"You remember just where your home is." Murrue said fiercely, letting his hands go and hugging him with all her strength. "With me. With Bryan. You make sure you get our ass home every single night."

"You couldn't keep me away." Mu told her just as fiercely, returning the hug as best he could, nuzzling gently into her neck as she clung to him. "I love you Murrue." Mu whispered into her ear, hearing her sigh softly in relief as the tension started to fade. "And I'm never going to leave you alone, I swear it. You and Bryan are stuck with me."

Murrue laughed weakly, forcing herself to swallow back her tears of relief. Hiding her face in the crook of his neck for a moment she breathed in softly and then let him go, hurriedly brushing her eyes dry on the back of her hand. "Speak of the little scamp... I'm surprised he isn't up yet..."

"Let him sleep, I wanna hug you for a bit longer." Mu told her softly, and she giggled weakly before surrendering to his embrace again. After a few long moments he let her go again, smiling broadly when she pulled away pink in the face. "Go and wake the tyke up... We'll drop him off at the kid's and head to work, eh?"

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"So you've signed up, good good... Let's get you suited up and into the ring then, shall we?" Erica smirked broadly, looking her new pilot over with obvious appreciation. She handed him the suit she had borrowed from another pilot, tossing a helmet to him as well. "Suit up and we'll see you in a few minutes."

"Gotcha." Following the directions he had gotten previously he found his way into the change-rooms. He stopped abruptly in the doorway, not expecting to see his opponent already there, bare from the waist up. He managed to notice before he gasped there was a jagged looking scar over her right shoulder, looking much like a burn mark. "Whoa!"

"Eh?" Crossing her arms tightly over her front, she peeked over her shoulder, jumping when she saw who was there. "Whoa! Holy hell!" Quickly scrambling she found her shirt and tugged it on over herself, blushing to her ears. "Dammit man, what were you doing sneaking up on me like that?!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Mu stuttered, turning around to give her privacy, blushing in embarrassment. Finally she grumbled a soft curse and he turned around, noticing she was resolutely glaring away from him, blushing and fully dressed. He noticed her suit seemed very familiar, the ivy colour seemed to fit well with her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..."

"Well it'd help if you went into the right change-room." Rin grumbled, pulling up her zipper with a quick tug. She noticed his gaze was fixed on her shoulder, and after peeking over it to see if there was something behind her she asked weakly, "What is it?"

"You have a scar... On your shoulder." Mu pointed out quietly, wondering why that was bothering him so much. He closed his eyes for a moment, and a sudden image of her years younger lying immobile in a hospital bed came into his mind.

Rin watched the surprise cross his face and the sudden look of familiarity in his eyes when they opened again. 'He remembered something...' Deciding to play her cards properly this time for his own sake, she told him softly, "Years ago... There was a fire. I was trapped inside... I was saved... Before my burns spread." Her hand found her shoulder, gripping impulsively. She forced a smile and added quietly, "It was a very long time ago."

Mu stared at her for a very long time, as if trying to find something wrong in her answer to him. Out of nowhere he found himself asking, "Did you lose your family in the fire?"

Rin returned the look, forcing the ironic smile from her face in place of a more bitter one. She answered stonily, hand dropping from her shoulder, "No. I don't have family."

Mu stared at her very closely again, and he couldn't shake the suspicion that he was being lied to. "You have family." The blond looked very startled and he grinned, adding cheerfully, "Murrue and Erica are your family, they act just like it if you ask me. And if they ever heard you saying that you didn't have family, they'd kick your ass."

Rin suddenly grinned sheepishly at him, turquoise eyes suddenly very affectionate. Tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear she murmured quietly, "I guess you're right... Thank you." She walked forward, stood on tiptoe and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before leaving.

Mu touched the spot where she kissed him, feeling very confused but suddenly quite happy. He turned around to watch her walk down the halls, and he sighed softly, picking up his piloting suit before changing into it. He couldn't keep his mind focussed on the task at hand, it kept flashing back to the blond haired woman.

Closing his eyes again, he ran his gloved hand over his face and thought deeply. 'How do I... Know her?'

"_Rin, you can't die. You can't die!" He cried, holding tightly onto her small hand as she lay still in the hospital bed. She was frightfully pale, her golden blond hair dirty with soot and ash. "You have to stay with me!"_

_She opened one eye slowly, painfully, looking quite fragile. She appeared so tiny, so breakable against the harsh white of the bed, almost as if she wasn't going to get up ever again. Her entire torso, already small as it was, was wrapped tightly in bandaging, looking as though it was crushing her petite frame. She whispered quietly against the mask over her nose and mouth, voice small and weak, "Stop... Being so stupid..."_

"_You can't die on me!" He begged, holding her small hand tenderly in between his own, tears rolling down his face, splashing uselessly on the thin and stiff sheets that were wrapped tightly around her. "You can't leave me alone, I can't be alone!"_

"_Stop being so stupid Mu..." The little girl whispered again, coughing softly and wincing. "You... Saved my life." Her turquoise eyes were now both open and wide, filling with tears of their own. "I'd feel bad if I let that go to waste... I'm not... Going anywhere Mu."_

_He smiled broadly, though the tears were still falling down his face. Reaching out he gently brushed the tears from her own. He said quietly, stroking her hand, "I'm sorry I didn't get there fast enough... But I'll make it up to you Ri, I promise. I love you."_

"_I love you too Mu..."_

Mu blinked, shaking himself out of the dream with wide eyes, suddenly very confused. 'We were both little... Like children...' He reached up to rub is eyes to fully wake up and his hand came way wet. With a start he realized he had been crying along with the little him in the dream. 'What in the world... What the hell?'

He straightened his suit, wandering out to the hanger where his Murasame would be waiting for him. When he jumped into the cockpit he was stunned by how utterly familiar it seemed to him, and he grinned boyishly, immediately taking to the feeling.

Starting the machine up with ease, his hands relaxed on the controls as he made the machine fly out into the air. Suddenly laughing, his body worked without even thinking, and the Murasame dipped into a low dive before pulling out in a barrel roll. "Whoo!"

"Stop being such a showoff!" Rin's voice called playfully over the open channels, and he spotted her ivy green Murasame a length away. "Besides, _this_ is how you do a barrel roll!" She shot by him like a bullet, and the machine transformed mid-roll into the plane, veering off at the last moment before it collided with the ground. She was hooting crazily, laughing madly over the channels, "Whooha!"

Deciding he wasn't about to be shown up Mu copied the movement almost exactly, coming up right at the green machine's far left wingtip. "Haha! That was _awesome_!"

"You're a fast learner!" Rin laughed over the communication link, sounding for all the world like a very excited teenager. Hands tightening around her controls, she called, "Alright then buddy boy, try this one on for size!" She threw the now mobile suit into another set of barrel rolls, corkscrewing elegantly through the air and then plunged into a breakneck dive. She wasn't the least bit surprised to watch him mirroring the move.

Laughing again, she unsheathed both beam sabers and threw herself into another crazy corkscrewing pattern, the colour of the sabers giving off quite the lightshow.

Chuckling, Mu pulled back to watch her continue, knowing she'd been at it much longer then him. He couldn't suppress a gasp of shock when she tossed her shield higher into the air, and suddenly jumped onto it, almost surfing. "Holy shit!"

"Alright kids, let's start behaving!" Erica Simmons' voice rang out over the intercom, and Rin almost immediately whined like a little child. Mu grumbled as well, really having been enjoying himself. "C'mon children, you came to fight, so let's fight already."

The green Murasame landed at the other end of the field, and with a flourish placed its shield back on its shoulder, sheathing both beam sabers. Rin called cheerfully to her opponent, "Alright then. Might as well get it over with." Her voice sharpened with surprising intensity and she yelled, "Oi! Don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl!"

"It didn't even cross my mind!" Mu yelled back, straightening a fair bit in his seat, hands curling tightly around his controls.

They stood there tense and ready, neither seeming to dare to move. All of sudden Erica's voice yelled over the intercom, loud and commanding, "Alright, have at it!"

Rin didn't move, smirking broadly as her hands wrapped around her own controls. She winked and said cheekily to her opponent, "Ladies first." She barely had much time to react, he flew quickly across the battlefield, and she barely had time to raise her shield to block his first strike.

Hissing quietly under his breath, he was rather startled by her quick reaction time. She moved fluidly and quickly, as if sensing what he was about to do before he even did it. He was faintly shocked to realize he was doing the same, moving as soon as she did.

His Murasame ducked down as hers unsheathed its beam saber, slashing for his head. Almost growling in annoyance the ivy suit jumped out of reach, and he followed.

"Wow." Erica breathed, blinking as she watched the two blurs of metal chase each other down in a deadly looking game. She had expected a very fierce and intense fight, but also a very short end. The battle had already dragged out for a full ten minutes, and neither of the two seemed to be tiring at all.

"Holy shit." Murrue said softly, staring with a mix of apprehension and amazement at the battle. The standard Murasame her lover was piloting seemed to be everywhere at once, and the green one Rin favoured likewise seemed to be teleporting all over the place. "I'm kind of glad you pulled me out of work to watch this..."

"Fairly entertaining." Erica agreed with a wry smile, peering down at the two suits. "Yeesh, you'd think somebody would be getting tired!"

"No kidding..."

"Fuck." Rin swore softly under her breath, feeling the familiar tightening in her chest as she threw herself out of the path of the shotgun blast Mu had thrown at her. The shot rebounded harmlessly, and Rin froze for a moment, coughing violently into her hand. 'Dammit!'

Mu took the chance to aim his rifle again, and shot perfectly. The harmless and empty shot hit the cockpit square and sent the Murasame flying backwards to land hard on its back. "Ha, got it!"

"Shit!" Rin swore again, chest heaving as she forced herself to remember to breathe. Mentally kicking herself she shoved the Murasame up and into a stand, and she realized with a jolt her hands were shivering. 'Damn it, not now of all times!' Eyes narrowing when she heard the whine of the alerts, she ignored it, took out her beam saber and rushed the other Murasame with a savage roar.

Mu took out his own quickly to block, and the ivy suit bounded backwards before trying again. The saber bounced off of the his right shoulder, leaving it useless as the machine's hardware recognized the limb as being destroyed. Swearing violently he grew more aggressive in attacking, unloading his rifle with his only good arm and firing at close range.

"Ah!" Rin gasped, eyes widening in shock as the empty shell hit square again, rocketing the Murasame back a good few lengths. She landed hard on her back, and cried out in pain as she felt her shoulder shriek as it popped out of its socket. She sat there gasping for air, and another violent coughing fit took hold for a few painful moments. Flipping open her channels she told him painfully, "Alright... I'm through... I guess you win..."

She watched with a slightly bitter look as he hopped from his suit, looking very proud and delighted with himself. She watched Murrue bound down from the tower to hug him, whispering something into his ear as she held him tightly, clearly relieved to see he was okay.

Taking off her helmet she idly left it in her seat as she hopped nimbly from her own suit and trekked back into the change-room. Her legs were shivering by the time she made it back, and she collapsed onto the bench absorbed in another tense fit. Hands pressing against her mouth, she grimaced when she pulled them away, noticing her gloves were stained with blood. 'Fuck it all...'

Rubbing her throat tersely, she shrugged out of her pilot suit, sitting with her head bowed for a few long moments. Slowly the dizziness began to drain away, leaving her exhausted.

"Hey... Are you okay?"

Rin looked up sharply at the sound of his concerned voice, too sharply. The dizziness returned with a solid punch to her stomach, and she quickly bowed her head again. Rubbing her throat again, she muttered weakly, "Yeah, I'm fine..."

"I didn't hurt you?"

Rin looked up, somewhat taken aback by the question. Her eyes narrowed, and she popped her shoulder back into place without even pulling a face. She said with a snort of indignation, "Feh, you've certainly got an ego... You didn't even scratch me." Without a word he pointed to her bloodstained gloves, and Rin felt her heart kick back into gear. Forcing herself to not care she said indifferently, "That's nothing."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mu asked her worriedly, not liking the way she was avoiding his gaze or the blood on her gloves.

"I'm fine." Rin said fiercely, meaning it with much more intensity then she realized she had in her. She pushed herself to her feet, striding by him to the door but her legs betrayed her, and she swooned. She caught the edge of the door, and her shoulders shook as another fit forced her lungs to move. She felt his hands on her shoulders, keeping her still and upright and she jerked away violently. "You want to help?" She demanded fiercely, turning around to glare at him, eyes shining with malice, "Leave me the fuck alone."

She strode outside, forcing herself to ignore the pain in her mid-section and dizziness still clinging to the edge of her mind. She leaned on the wall, closing her eyes as she breathed in deeply to settle herself. 'Dammit...'

"I'm not going to let you walk out like that, not when you look so terrible."

Hissing under her breath she whirled around to glare at him. He was watching her with honest concern, and for some reason that only annoyed her. "What's your problem? Why can't you leave me alone?"

"You look like you need help." Mu answered simply. Her turquoise eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed as she looked away stubbornly. He could see she was still shivering, the fits seemed to only leave her weaker and weaker. She was doing her best to hide it as well. "Are you sick?"

Rin sighed softly, she just didn't have the energy to fight with him anymore. She looked up, meeting his concerned azure eyes and she said seriously, voice full of conviction, "Yes. I am. Very sick. By all accounts, I shouldn't even be walking let alone piloting."

Mu blinked, taken aback by that confession. From what he had seen from her already she was incredibly lively, always on the go, laughing and grinning. 'Imagining her lying so still... It just seems wrong.' His hands curled at his sides as he watched her, and he found himself saying fiercely, "You'll get better."

Rin watched him with surprise, having not expected that at all. Whenever someone heard about her illness, doctors included, hope was the last thing she'd ever seen. Feeling annoyed at herself for giving that to him, she told him weakly, "Mu... My... Illness... The odds I'm going to get better are slim. I've got a better chance of getting struck by lightning then recovering from this."

"You'll get better." Mu repeated with narrowed eyes, watching her blink in surprise. "You want a chance to beat me, don't you? To get even? Well we'll have our rematch one day, when you're better. I know you'll pull through whatever the hell it is that's got you, because you're tough."

Rin blinked, and her chest tightened with emotion. Forcing herself to look away, she mumbled softly, "You're an idiot..." She blushed a little, wondering how he could have so much faith in her. Eyes narrowing as she came to a sudden realization, she looked back up at him with a glare. "If you tell Murrue about this, I'll kill you. Erica already knows, she found me in a fit after I came out of testing once... But Murrue doesn't know about me. I love the woman, and to let her know what I'm living with... I can't do that to her. So don't say a word or I'll have your ass."

"I won't have to, remember? You'll be fine." Mu reminded her with a smile, and he watched her blush and awkwardly look away again. 'Somehow, and I really don't know why... She means a lot to me. I want to believe she'll get better, that she'll be okay because I care about her. I don't think the reason's important... It's just because I do... I can always remember one day.'

Rin blushed fiercely again, completely awkward and somewhat flattered by his words. 'He just... Remembers how he feels for me, without knowing why he feels like that... And I know it confuses him, I can see it in his eyes. I hate being the cause of his pain.' Giving into her emotions, she walked over to him and hugged him closely. "Thank you."

Though somewhat taken aback by this, his body moved on its own and hugged her back. Burying his face in her hair, he said softly to her, "You're welcome... You _will_ get better."

Fighting back the tears that were tightening her throat, she only clung to him tighter, closing her eyes against the flood. 'I won't cry, I won't cry... I _won't_.' "Thank you." She murmured weakly again, and felt a single tear find its way down her cheek, dripping lazily onto the front of his shirt. "Thank you."

* * *

Mu sighed heavily as he crept inside, and was a little caught off guard by the soft quiet of the home. He quietly kicked off his shoes and hung up his coat, peeking around the corner to see the television on, humming quietly. 'Pity I came home so late, everybody's probably sleeping already...'

The only reason he had come home so late was by request of his boss, she had asked him to stay for a little to help out with the newer prototypes. He had done it dutifully, though he really did wish he could have gone home with Murrue. And now he was very glad to be home.

Peeking around the corner again, he almost laughed when he saw who was curled upon the couch, fast asleep. He chuckled softly and wandered over, sitting on the floor beside her, reaching out to gently brush her hair away from her angelic face. "You fell asleep waiting for me, didn't you?" He scolded quietly, knowing he wasn't going to get an answer.

Chuckling softly again, he took the moment to study her sleeping face. He smiled broadly, and gently began to stroke her hair again. 'She stayed to wait for me... I'm surprised... I figured you'd be in your room asleep already...' Leaning close he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before he slowly got up.

Tiptoeing and keeping as silent as ghost, he opened the door to Bryan's room. He walked up to the boy's bed, and smiled, watching the blond boy sleeping soundly, one arm curled around a little teddy bear. Mu tried not to grin, knowing that the bear had been his gift to the boy on his second birthday.

"Cute little kid..." Mu whispered softly, and he gently kissed the crown of the boy's hair. "I love you Bryan..." He crept back out of the room, closing the door silently behind him. He made his way back to the living room, and was quite happy to see she was still sleeping where he'd left her.

He sat back down on the floor, reaching out to stroke her hair gently, watching her sleep. He smiled broadly when she began to stir, murmuring softly. She opened her eyes, and blinked a few times before they focussed and then widened in surprise. "Oh!"

"Hello." Mu laughed, brushing his lips lovingly over hers for a moment before he pulled away smiling.

"Hi..." Murrue murmured back weakly, smiling shyly as he grinned at her, tracing his finger over her cheek. "Have you been watching me?" He nodded and she pretended to look scolding. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"You looked too beautiful to disturb." Mu replied sweetly, earning a fierce blush and an embarrassed smile. She sat up, toying with a lock of her hair. He grinned and leaned on the cushion, staring up into her sparkling eyes. He reached into her lap, taking her hands in one of his and he asked her quietly, "Were you waiting up for me?" She nodded sheepishly and he grinned, pressing a gentle kiss to her fingers. "That was very nice of you..."

Blushing something fierce at his grin, and blood warming considerably as his lips continued to idly press to her hand. She murmured softly, eyes locked on his, "I didn't want to fall asleep alone..."

"You don't have to." Mu told her with a grin, and he stood up, offering her his hand, which she took immediately. He pulled her off of the couch and to her feet, and she quickly threw her arms around him. Laughing at this, he kissed the crown of her hair and muttered softly, "Somebody missed me while I was gone..."

"Mm hmm." Murrue hummed her answer back, breathing in his scent hungrily as she held onto him tightly. "Always." She whispered softly into his ear, kissing his jaw as he sighed quietly. Goaded on just by that, she continued with the advances, moving her hands slowly down his chest. He closed his eyes and she smiled into his neck, tugging gently at his shirt to tell him what she wanted.

He laughed when he felt that but obeyed her wants, lifting his arms up for her. She tugged gently again, and he smiled, moving his hands down on top of hers, and with slow and easy movements the discarded the garment together. He watched her smile at him, and her hands curled around his. He pressed his forehead against hers, watching her eyes sparkle and her lips quirked into that smile she saved just for him. "Impatient are we?"

"Somewhat." Murrue replied gently, not able to lie, she had been waiting for him. His hands settled on hers again, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. "But..." She added softly, standing on tiptoe to be at better level with him, "I can wait for you. Forever if I have to."

"You don't have to." Mu replied quietly, and with a flourish he swept her up into his arms, holding her bridal style. She made a muffled squeak, not able to make much else because he'd caught her mouth in a kiss. When they broke she looked rather dazed and he grinned back at her. "Bedroom?"

"Please." Murrue answered with hesitation, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, catching his mouth again in a passionate kiss. Without even breaking the exchange, he found his way there, and kicked the door shut behind them.

**AN**

**(Grins) Finally, I finished XD And she's a long one lmao. Lol, and with smuts to end it to boot, lmao. Sorry bout the pause, lol, hit a wall after a week of constant updating (giggles a bit) That was a fair surprise to me how quickly I was rolling those out. Anywhosit, much to come next, promise, heheh, tho I've really been winging most of these, blame a certain miss who knows perfectly well who she is XD**

**Sky **


	14. Chapter 13

"I don't know what to tell you Rin." Murrue said weakly, looking over at the blond who was sitting in the corner of her chair, knees pulled up to her chest, chin resting on her arms which were wound round her knees. "You can tell him the truth or keep avoiding him, it's up to you."

Rin grumbled, biting back her question of how she could possibly keep avoiding him. 'Murrue doesn't know about what happened in the change-rooms at Morgenroete... And I can't tell her without letting slip about me, so... All she knows was that we had a bit of a moment before and after the fight.' "I can't really keep avoiding him, we're on the same team of pilots..."

"Despite the fact that you're still military?" Murrue asked with raised eyebrows, watching Rin look sheepish and turn to look at the other wall instead. "Well, I suppose Erica would consider you a valuable asset regardless..." She sighed, took a finishing gulp of her tea and set the empty cup down on the coffee table, regarding the blond carefully. "It's really up to you Rin. Haven't you missed having your big brother?"

"I have." Rin said instantly, not regretting the words in the least after she said them. "I _have_ missed him... Dearly. It hurt when I realized he was gone... It really did hurt, like a knife in the chest. And when he came back... Even when he didn't remember me, I was so happy to know he was alive, that if I wanted I could reach out and touch him... I miss hugging him like I used to, sitting in his lap and talking about the little things. I miss my big brother..." She frowned a little, feeling the aching pain in the back of her mind as she remembered the fire. 'But... Remembering me... It gives him that link to his past, to our past... Something I'm sure he'd rather never remember if he had the choice. How can I willingly give him all of those painful memories back?'

"You miss him..." Murrue mused quietly, watching Rin frown bitterly at herself. She continued softly, pointing out the flaws in Rin's features, "But you still don't look too happy about revealing yourself to him completely."

"I want to tell him who I am, drop the whole act, it's hard to keep covering my ass like this." Rin grumbled, pulling her knees in tighter, wrapping her arms around them more securely to hold them there. She still looked pained when she mumbled softly, "But... You've been told all about his past haven't you? You remember how hurt he is when he talks about it? How I can happily be the one personally responsible for unlocking all of that agony for him to relive all over again?"

'I never knew she looked at it that way.' Murrue thought with some surprise, watching Rin painfully beginning to twirl the infinity pendant she wore around her necklace. She found her eyes straying to the necklace, and she asked without thinking, "Where did you ever get that Rin?"

"Eh? This?" Rin gestured to the pendant she was currently hanging onto delicately between her thumb and index finger. Murrue nodded and Rin smiled a little, stroking the smooth metal lovingly. "It was a present... My sixteenth birthday present from Mu... The last one we spent together, before we parted ways..."

"_Here." The nineteen year-old Mu held a box in his hands, grinning when his sixteen year-old sister stared quizzically at it. "C'mon Rin, turn around and let me put it on you."_

_Protesting somewhat, Rin turned around and closed her eyes as ordered, letting him adjust whatever it was before looping it over her head and under her hair. She finally opened her eyes when she felt the nearly invisible weight around her neck. "What the..." Staring down at it, she fingered the fragile silver chain delicately, before staring at the pendant. It was smooth metal, with a few tiny little studs of jewels on it, twisted elegantly into the symbol for eternity. "Oh... Mu it's beautiful..."_

"_Infinity, or eternity, whichever you prefer." Mu told her with a grin, reaching to adjust the necklace slightly for her, grinning when he stepped back to admire it around her neck. "I thought it'd be a great present for you..."_

"_Why infinity Mu?" Rin asked softly, still staring in awe at the gift, touching the metal gently. It must have cost the boy a small fortune, it looked beautiful._

"_Because, proves how long I'm gonna love you." Mu told her cheerfully, wrapping the lithe blond into a tight hug, which she joyously returned. "And how long we'll be together. Forever, see? You'll always be my little sister, I'll love you forever and even though we'll be apart... We'll always end up together again."_

"I know he meant what he said when he gave it to me..." Rin said softly, touching the necklace gently, caressing the metal absently as she looked down at it. "Our relationship would last forever because we're all we had... Because back then, we were what the other lived for. He was my brother, the only family I'd ever had and knew I could count on." She was gripping the pendant now, tears sparkling unshed in her eyes. "And dammit, I love the dolt way too much."

"Rin..." Murrue said softly, seeing the tears in her younger friend's eyes. She got up from the couch and walked over, sitting beside the blond and wrapping her arm around her to pull her close. "Shh sweetie... It's okay..." She gently stroked her friend's hair from her face, hugging her close in a very maternal gesture.

"It's not okay." Rin whispered weakly, the tears coming too fast for her to control, dripping off of her face and onto her jeans. Shoulders shivering she bowed her head and whimpered, "I can't tell him who I am without hurting him. I can't put him through that again. He already lived through Al's abuse once, I can't ask him to live it all over again just for the sake of remembering me."

"Oh Rin..." Murrue said quietly, heart aching to see the young woman in so much pain. She hugged her close, rubbing her back as the girl began to sob softly into her shoulder, holding onto her for all she could. "Shh sweetie... It's alright... You don't need to choose right now... You have time to make your choices..."

Rin sniffled a little, pulling away so she could brush her tears away. She blushed slightly when she saw Murrue watching her closely, worriedly. "Don't look at me like that..." She grumbled softly, not having the heart to put into it as she dried her face on her sleeve, "I'll be fine..."

"As long as you think you'll be okay." Murrue replied quietly, still keeping her arm firmly around Rin's still shivering shoulders. "But I want you to know, I'm here for you, if you need anything. If you _ever_ need anything Rin."

Rin blushed a fair bit and stared at her lap for quite a long time, not sure exactly what to say to that sort of comment. She finally murmured awkwardly, "Thanks... I... Thanks."

"No worries. You're my friend, and I look out for my friends." Murrue told her cheerfully, giving her another gentle hug. "Okay?"

"Alright..."

**

* * *

**

"Y'know..." Mu mused quietly, idly pressing his lips to his lover's shoulder as he held her from behind, "I've been thinking..."

"Mm?"

"Maybe we should take Bryan to the beach or something... Take him out for the weekend. I'm sure the tyke would love it." Mu suggested, holding onto her tightly, lips moving lazily up and down her shoulders, and then back to her neck and ear. She sighed her agreement, not really making any sounds other then ones of pleasure and contentment. Chuckling at this, he asked softly into her ear, "You like the idea?"

"Mmm, of course." Murrue replied with a soft sigh, moving her head to the side to encourage his attention. He laughed softly but obliged, leaning over her neck again to press tiny nips and kisses there. "He'd love that... That sounds wonderful Mu."

"Sounds like you'd enjoy it more then he would." Mu teased quietly, inquisitive mouth roaming along the pale and sensitive skin of her neck. They were cuddled up close together on the couch watching television, she as usual was sitting between his legs, and his arms were tightly wound around her middle, successfully keeping her trapped.

Murrue thought about that, though she found it hard to keep her thoughts together, especially when his lips were moving all over the place like that. "Mu stop it, I can't think when you're kissing me like that." He pouted, but was laughing against her neck as he quit the attention for a moment. "I'd like to see you in nothing but swimming trunks..."

Mu thought that idea over for a long moment and grinned broadly, enjoying the thought. He growled into her ear, beginning to pepper her skin with more kisses, "That deserves some more play..." She didn't argue once, sighing and melting into him as his kisses drew farther up her neckline. "So Murrue..." Mu asked huskily, tugging her back against him a little to move his hips against her, "Do you own a bikini?"

Murrue tried to answer but the only thing that escaped her mouth was a soft moan as she felt his hips moving ever so slightly against her. He brought his hands into play, and they moved slowly up her sides to rest on her breasts and she groaned softly at the attention. A little voice whispered in the back of her mind that they had just put Bryan down, and he could just as easily wake up and see them. "Mu... Stop it..."

"You don't want me to stop." Mu told her in a rough whisper, and for extra emphasis on how he knew this, he gently began to move his hands again. She stiffed against him, closing her eyes and moaning softly at the touch. Grinning against her ear at her completely uninhibited response, he asked her hoarsely, "Do you like that?"

"N-No." Murrue forced herself to deny it, knowing if she answered yes he'd never let her go. He laughed, knowing she was lying and his mouth moved up to her ear while his hands grew incredibly more restless. Murrue gasped audibly when he began to whisper into her ear, hands moving encouragingly over her body. Nearly driven insane with the pleasure he was instilling in her, she gasped again and stiffened against him. "Oh!"

"That's right..." Mu told her huskily, hands searching for a more promising target as she squirmed against him. He chuckled again, and groaned into her ear as she impulsively bucked when his hands found their target, "God damn Murrue... Don't do that..."

"S-Stop it then." Murrue whimpered softly, closing her eyes as the pleasurable torture only continued. He refused to let her go, and his hands only continued to move against her body. "Oh my god..." She gasped softly again, eyes widening in alarm when his lips pressed against her ear to add to the fire.

"Now now Murrue..." Mu muttered raggedly against her ear, closing his eyes as he felt her body beginning to squirm impulsively because of his touch. "You know I can't do that... And I know you wouldn't really like me to stop either..." He paused his attentions, and she made a soft anguished sound of torment when he made to draw away from her.

"Don't." Murrue whimpered softly, body shivering as his hands released her for a moment. "Oh god, Mu don't do that..." He laughed hoarsely into her ear, triumphant. She didn't really care about his pride, all she wanted was his hands on her again. "Please..."

"You asked for it love." Mu told her with a soft chuckle, and he turned her around and quickly dragged her down into nirvana. They didn't even bother to leave the couch, common sense lost in the insane exchange that took control. Forever passed before they came to their senses again, but it was a little too late to take back what they'd done.

"I can't believe I just had sex with you on my couch." Murrue groaned softly into her lover's ear, still clinging tightly to him as they lay together on the couch, tangled up in each other and the blankets. "What if Bryan woke up and saw us like this? What would I have said to him?"

"No idea." Mu chuckled back, lying on his side and watching her close her eyes and lay back against the armrest with a sigh. He reached out and gently brushed her messy hair away from her face, and she looked at him with a weak smile. "But he didn't wake up and see us, so there isn't really a problem, is there?"

"I guess not... But we have to be more careful." Murrue pointed out with a fierce poke in the side, and he laughed, pretending to look wounded. She didn't have the heart to pretend to be mad at him, winding her arms around his shoulders to tug him closer. "I just don't want us to be interrupted, that's all..."

"You love your son a lot, I know." Mu whispered softly into her ear, pressing gentle kisses to her neck as he held her closer to him. "You're just watching out for him. It's alright, I'll behave myself from now on."

"I like it when you're being bad you know." Murrue told him with a little smile of her own, sitting up with some effort, tugging the blankets around herself. "We just need to be a bit more careful, that's all." He grinned broadly to seal the promise and promptly tugged her back into his lap. "So..." She idly began to trace circles on his chest, looking thoughtful, "The beach?"

"Yeah, I thought the kid would like it, what do you think?"

Murrue pursed her lips, wondering about that for a few moments. 'He's been to the beach quite a few times... But never a public one, just the one by Kira's... But he likes the water...' "If it's both of us, I'm sure he'd enjoy it..."

"Do you own a bikini? You never answered me." Mu asked with a bit of a tease, hugging her closer so she couldn't escape and nuzzling joyously into her neck until she giggled.

"Yes I own a bikini." Murrue answered with a laugh, poking him in the sides so he'd stop the tickling. "Do you really think I could live with friends like Erica and Rin and _not _own a bikini?"

"Touche."

"They dragged me out shopping and got me one ages ago..." Murrue grumbled, not really remembering the experience with a smile, she hated shopping. She straightened the blankets around her and added somewhat sourly, "I never wore the thing, I haven't gone out in awhile..."

"Well then, we'll need to change that." Mu told her pleasantly, giving her a sound kiss on the cheek. "You, me, and the kid at the beach tomorrow, it's a date." With that said he slid off the couch and walked into her room without even looking back at her.

"What are you doing?" Murrue called after him with a laugh, getting up and following him to the door.

"I belong here." Mu told her cheerfully, flopping down on the bed with a wide smile. He sat up and gestured to her, saying cheekily, "Do you plan on joining me?"

Murrue's smile turned devilish, and she dropped the blankets that she'd been holding around herself. He immediately began to stare and she smirked. "Yeah."

**AN**

**XD I've been really really bad lately. What's it been, like three chapters of naughty in a row? Is that a record? XD Well anyway, there's still one more chapter of naughtiness (grins broadly) Ask a certain sis it's all her fault for the next chapter, lol. So, beach happenings, heehee, can't wait!**

**Sky**


	15. Chapter 14

The beach was beautiful, golden sand stretching as far as the eye could see and the ocean itself was just as beautiful, crystal blue water washing in at high tide. It was roughly crowded as well, on a Saturday afternoon that was to be expected though.

Mu glanced around, happy to have found the perfect spot not a few strides from the surf. He'd set the blanket out, and watched as Murrue patiently applied sunblock to Bryan. The boy squirmed and whined a little but for the most part he behaved and let his mother work. She let him go after dabbing a little spot on his nose, laughing when he scrunched up his face because of it.

"Alright, your turn."

Mu grinned and plopped down in front of her, chuckling when she made a quiet fuss over making sure he had enough sunblock on him as well. 'What really makes the beach beautiful... Is her.' She hadn't wanted to make much of a fuss on coming, but he'd made sure she had no planning to do, taking care of the details all by himself. 'I wanted her to relax... And she sure makes relaxing look _great_.'

What he said was true, she was sitting comfortably on the blanket, wearing a towel as a skirt, and a bikini top to cover her. She did own a bikini, a blood-red one that really looked amazing on her. She'd been flustered when he stared at her, and quickly hid herself with a towel. Now she was completely at ease, watching as she affectionately put it, 'her boys play'.

Bryan stared raptly at his big friend's chest, examining the scars with wide childlike eyes. He'd just shrugged off his shirt for Murrue, and Bryan stared in complete shock. Mu looked over his shoulders and caught the stare. Suddenly chagrined, he asked the boy quietly, "Do they bother you Bryan?"

"Do they hurt Mu?" Bryan asked with wide eyes, and Murrue forced herself to cover her mouth when she heard the sheer awe in her son's clear little voice.

"Nope. They're all fine." Mu told him cheerfully, snatching the little boy by the waist and sitting him in his lap. He took one of Bryan's hands in his one and let him poke one of the scars across his chest. "See? Fine."

Bryan beamed broadly at this, poking another scar with Mu's permission. He scrambled from his lap and to his feet, bouncing up and down when he stared at the ocean. "Can we play now?"

"Sure." Mu made to start forward when he suddenly felt Murrue's hand on his leg. He looked up in time to feel her lips pressing softly against his for a brief moment. He blinked, a little startled when she pulled away beaming.

"You're so good with him..." She murmured quietly, her hand brushing gently against his for a moment. He grinned broadly at her and she smiled shyly back before giving him another swift peck on the cheek and leaning back under the umbrella for shade. "Go on, you and Bryan go play, I'll watch."

Mu grinned, leaned forward to snatch another brief kiss before getting to his feet and snatching Bryan up. With Bryan screaming in delight and Mu laughing loudly he charged into the ocean and they disappeared for a moment underwater. They popped up again a split second later, laughing fit to burst.

Murrue started to giggle, unable to tear her eyes away from them for a moment. Bryan hung onto Mu as they fooled around in the water, both boys laughing and playing around like children. 'Though...' Murrue reminded herself with a sly little smile as she watched the water roll off of Mu's broad chest, 'He doesn't remind me of a little boy when he looks like that...' He shook his head, letting water fly everywhere, shooting a bright grin at her and she grinned right back at him.

When she looked around the beach she noticed with a jolt of jealousy she wasn't the only one watching Mu. Crossing her arms she frowned a little, not liking the way the women on the beach turned to stare. Some of the women would coo over her son, which really didn't bother her that much, but it was the ones who decided to sigh over Mu that annoyed her.

She sighed softly, crossing her arms again as she leaned back against the blanket. 'Of course people would look...' She glared around at the other women who were just outright staring, grumbling a rude curse under her breath. She looked back at him, and smiled weakly hen she saw his utter delight in the water with Bryan.

'Oblivious.' She thought with a small and growing smile, relaxing a little when she saw this. 'Completely and utterly oblivious... Of course he wouldn't notice...'

But he did notice, just not the attention focussed on him. He knew she wasn't paying attention, but the men on the beach, even the younger ones were outright staring at her, eyes wide. A few were ignoring their own girlfriends, but for the most part she attracted quite a bit of attention. 'And she never sees all the looks she gets, does she?'

He felt that familiar little pang of worry in his chest and hid a frown as he picked Bryan up to dangle him just above the water. 'I've never asked her... And I wonder if there's a right for me to feel jealous over all the attention she gets... She's never made it clear what we are... If I'm just her roommate, her tenant, hell, if we're friends with benefits...'

He set Bryan back on his feet, the shallow water barely up to his knees as he kicked around and giggled at the sensation of the wet sand under his tiny feet. Mu smiled and ruffled his hair tenderly, grinning down at the delighted little boy. 'He's such a cute little kid... Murrue loves him with all her heart, it's so obvious to see that... She's fiercely protective of him too...'

Bryan spotted his mother and beamed, waving his arm in the air to get her attention. "Mommy! Come and play!"

Mu grinned at the her laughter to this, and swept Bryan up onto his shoulders and joined the little boy in saying, "Yeah mom, come and play with us!"

Murrue held her hand over her mouth to hide her laughter, unable to really help it, they looked so identical it was hard not to laugh. 'How can he never notice just how similar he is to Bryan? I mean look at them... They're almost the same person.' She got to her feet and tugged off her makeshift skirt before joining them in the water, laughing when Bryan jumped to hug her.

The three fooled around for quite awhile, eventually all of them were soaked and laughing. Murrue brushed her wet hair out of her eyes, watching Mu and Bryan take turns pouncing on each other. Trying not to giggle, she asked them both, "Do you ever run out of energy? I'm exhausted!"

"Are ya?" Mu looked concerned at this, and Murrue merely smiled at him. Chuckling he ruffled her damp hair and then looked at Bryan who was watching them both with curious eyes. "Ready to go home tyke?"

"If Mommy is." Bryan replied sweetly, hugging her around the leg and she laughed softly, kneeling to welcome him into her arms. He giggled boyishly and gave her a kiss on the cheek before looking at Mu. "And if Daddy is too."

Mu blinked, looking at Murrue in surprise and she merely smiled and kissed the crown of her son's hair. He really didn't know what to say to this and said quietly, "Murrue...?"

"I'm ready to go..." Murrue said with a little smile, scooping Bryan up into her arms, nuzzling him gently. She watched Mu and smiled sweetly before adding gently, her gaze never leaving his, "But let's see what daddy has to say."

"Daddy?" Bryan asked, looking over at Mu with those wide eyes of his, waiting for his answer.

Mu coughed, not sure what to say to this. Murrue was smiling at him, invitingly, Bryan looked completely accepting, waiting for his decision. 'I'm...' He smiled back somewhat awkwardly, feeling the blush staining his cheeks when he answered sheepishly, "Yeah, let's go home together."

* * *

"Bryan you've got sand everywhere." Murrue scolded him gently, ruffling his hair dry, noticing the golden sand dotting her son's body. "You need a bath..."

"I'll take him." Mu offered with a grin, and Murrue tried her best to stop the reaction that settled on her at the sudden image. She blushed impulsively and Mu chuckled at this, leaning forward to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry." Bryan took him by the hand and led him to the bathroom, leaving Murrue to stand there in surprise.

Pressing a hand to her racing heart, she swore she wouldn't peek in on the two. 'My god what's happening to me?' She hurried to her room to resist the impulse that was growing louder with each passing moment. She stepped out of her bikini, quickly tossing it into the laundry bin. She pulled on some loose pjs and then a robe, tying it tightly around herself.

She had just finished sorting out her clothes and putting them into the washing machine when she felt two strong arms wrap tightly around her waist. "Eep!"

"Gotcha." He whispered into her neck, and she immediately froze as his lips trailed down her neck and he held her tightly from behind.

Murrue closed her eyes for a moment, relishing the embrace. She finally turned around, winding her thin arms around his shoulders to look up into his eyes, smiling. "Thank you for being so good to Bryan... He really loves you."

"I can tell." Mu laughed, holding her tightly with one arm as his free hand idly brushed away his hot damp hair from his brow. She smiled up at him again, and he resisted the urge to kiss her. "Bryan fell asleep again... Guess he was exhausted from a long day out..."

"That's alright, he needed a nap anyway." Murrue replied gently, reaching up to toy with a lock of his wet hair. She stood on tiptoe to snatch a small kiss, and gave him a gentle hug. She noticed he didn't return it immediately and looked at him worriedly when she drew away. He wasn't looking at her, eyes focussed on something else, and his hold on her was looser now. "Are you alright?"

Mu sighed softly and dropped his arms from around her, knowing she could sense what was wrong with him as well as he could with her. "Murrue, I..." He ran his hand through his hair, watching her watching him with worried eyes. Finally he said quietly, "What are we?"

Murrue blinked, taken aback by the question. "What?" She shook her head, not sure she'd heard him right, and watched him closely.

Mu sighed raggedly again, the thought having been running in his mind ever since they had gotten to the beach. "Where do we stand exactly Murrue? What am I to you?" She blinked again, eyes widening a little as she realized what he meant. "Am I... Am I your tenant, your roommate, your friend with benefits? I don't know what to call you, I don't even know where we're standing right now. I just don't know what we are, if we're even anything!"

Murrue blinked several times, quite taken aback by the sudden outburst. Suddenly she smiled, took the few steps that were between them, threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. He blinked, quite startled and his body took over for him quickly, arms winding around her waist to return the embrace. She pulled away quickly, though kept her arms around his shoulders as she watched him with a little smile. "You're everything... You're my friend, my tenant, my lover... You're the man I gave my heart to." She stood on tiptoe to whisper softly in his ear, "You're the man I fell in love with."

Mu closed his eyes for a moment and then pulled her close again, burying his face in her fragrant hair with a quiet sigh. She laughed softly at this, but didn't dare draw away from him, holding onto him as tightly as he held onto her. "Murrue..."

After a few long moments Murrue drew away, watching him watching her with a sly smile. Gently moving her hands up his shoulders to his hair, she asked softly, eyes twinkling with mischief, "I was wondering... Can I have a turn having a bath with you?"

Mu looked at her oddly for a moment, seeing the playful glint in her eyes and smile, and he grinned broadly, the worry suddenly gone off of his shoulders. Chuckling in amusement, he snatched a brief kiss and told her cheerfully, "Sure you can."

She giggled and slipped out of his arms before he could tighten his hold on her and took off running down the hall, laughing as he gave chase. She silently thanked both Kira and Cagalli, who had given her the house, for the large bathtub that the washroom supplied.

It wasn't too long before they'd undressed and slid in, both laughing and teasing each other as the bubble mixture did its work. He held her tightly, not letting her escape his hold underneath the hot water. She was grinning at him, thin fingers gently and teasingly moving over his chest through the bubbles.

Eventually the attention grew quite more lustful, and it didn't take very long before they lost their senses in the heated water. Soft cries of pleasure echoed in the small bathroom, and in the process quite a bit of water ended up out of the tub but neither paid much attention to that, too absorbed in their significant other to really care.

Still drowning in the lust that had overcome them, he idly pulled a towel around her as she did the same to him, and they journeyed back into her room without many words being exchanged. Collapsing on the bed together most of the rest of the day was spent in each other's arms, cares vanishing with the daylight.

"We spent all day in bed." Murrue murmured softly, closing her eyes as Mu's lips ventured all over her neck and shoulders, keeping her pinned between him and the bed. She didn't mind the attention, instead smiling at the treatment. "Think we're being a bit too bad?"

"Nah... There's no such thing as being too bad." Mu told her with a chuckle, drawing away to meet her mischievous grin. He nuzzled gently into her neck, earning a soft giggle. They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence, and finally Mu muttered into her ear, "Thank you."

"Hmm?" Murrue looked over at him, blinking away the sleep that had begun to settle itself over her. "Thank me? For what?"

"For letting me be part of your family." Mu told her simply, and she widened her eyes a little before blushing and looking away. "I mean it... I know it's a sensitive topic for you... And that Bryan means the world to you too. It makes me feel strange but happy to know that I'm accepted in your family. That you'll let me be so close to him."

"He loves you." Murrue answered awkwardly, heat charging up into her face, making her feel even more awkward. "And it's only natural for him to look at you like a parent after so long of being with you. And... With the fact that I love you almost as much as he does... It's just something that was going to happen. That you'd eventually... Be part of our family."

"You have no idea how much that means to me." Mu whispered into her ear as he held her close, and she sighed quietly against him neck as she clung to him just as tightly. "I love you... And I love Bryan too. Thank you."

"You're welcome... I love you too."

**AN**

**Haha, bath smuts. (Bursts out laughing) This chapter was written solely for my sis (tho her birthday isn't till tomorrow) lo, the beach, bath smuts n everything else was her present cause I couldn't get her anything else (epic sweatdrop) Anyway sis, I hope you enjoy it, and happy early birthday!**

**Sky**


	16. Chapter 15

Rin stretched lazily as she heard the alert ring in her ear for a break. Hands once more tightening around her controls, she dipped her unit into a low dive back for the hanger. She watched her comrades copy the movement and they pulled out easily to the ground and walked their units back into their respective hangers.

Sliding elegantly out of the cockpit, Rin sat on the edge of the door, watching the hustle below her as technicians raced in to examine the units and how well they were taking the wear of the flight and battles. She stretched lazily again, pulling her gloves off slowly by each finger and stowing them in her pocket. She undid the front of her pilot suit, watching the works below with little interest.

"Yo Rin! Coming down or not?"

"Shut up Charlie." Rin called back with little interest, not even bothering looking down at one of her fellow pilots. She never had bothered associating with any of them, she didn't enjoy their company and it didn't help that she was the only girl in their group. She continued to unzip the front of her suit, shrugging out of the sleeves before wiggling out of the pants. She was only wearing shorts and a tanktop underneath, and tossed the suit back into her cockpit for later.

Judging the distance to the ground she decided to risk it and hopped down, landing on her feet before the impact took her to her knees. She stood up quickly, brushing herself off before she started to walk back to the city.

"Hey!"

Rin was ready to whirl around and start cursing at whoever had decided to follow her this time, but the words died in her throat when she saw who was chasing after her. She smiled weakly and waited patiently for the blond man to catch up to her. "Hi Mu."

"Going out for lunch today?" Mu asked with interest, pocketing his hands as he fell into step beside her. She just nodded, patting her back pocket to show she had some bills stuffed away in there. "Where to?"

"There's a burger joint, Murrue showed me on my first day here... You're welcome to come if you buy." Rin grinned at him, winking playfully and he chuckled and nodded, glad for her company. Rin stretched her arms again, folding her hands behind her head as she walked alongside the older man. 'I can't really help myself when I'm around him... It's so hard to remember that he's forgot who we used to be... It seems like he does remember, the way he acts around me, and Murrue... As if he never forgot who he was...'

Mu watched the flickering emotions in his friend's eyes, they'd darken with anger and then soften with sadness. Her hands stayed curled at her sides, and he couldn't help but be worried for her. "Are you alright?"

"Eh?" Rin had barely noticed he was still at her side and looked up in surprise before her face softened with sheepishness. Blushing at the attention she forced herself to lock eyes with him and explained weakly, "Oh... Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"Are you taking your medication?" Mu inquired, watching her scowl and cross her arms in a gesture of annoyance.

"Yes mom." Rin grumbled back, though she couldn't feign annoyance too well when he was around her. They continued to walk, and her mind continued to buzz frantically with thoughts.

"_It's really up to you Rin. Haven't you missed having your big brother?"_

'What else can I say to that? I know Murrue's right, I need to tell him, but how exactly to you get to that topic? "Oh Mu, by the way, I'm your little sister that you don't remember." How can I tell him without scaring the hell out of him?' Rin frowned a little at herself, and unconsciously her hand moved up to the scar on her shoulder. The memory of the fire was still burned into her mind, and it began to replay again as she brought attention to the burn mark.

"Does it hurt?" Mu asked quietly, noticing how she had started to rub the mark through her thin shirt. He'd noticed that she would do that from time to time when she started to lose herself in deep thought, or whenever she was around him for a long period of time. She never really said anything much about it, and he repeated his question again, a bit louder than before.

"Eh?" Rin looked to see her hand on her shoulder and blinked a few times before letting it drop to her side. "Oh... Sorry. Eheh, I didn't notice."

They found the little place, sat down inside and ordered their food, keeping a steady conversation going about their latest change in shifts. The food came and they eagerly tucked in, both of them having skipped breakfast because of the early call to be in.

Rin took a swig of her soda before she felt the dull throbbing setting up right behind her left ear. She placed her hand there and winced a little when the throbbing began to grow to a ringing. She looked over the table to notice he was experiencing the same thing and she winced inwardly. Finally she slammed her drink down with much more force than necessary, and asked him roughly, "Do you feel that too?"

"Huh?" Mu looked up, alarmed by the sudden harsh quality to her voice, the way she narrowed her eyes and had her hands clenched into fists again.

"The ringing. Do you feel that too?" Rin asked fiercely, waiting for him to answer. He finally just nodded slowly, and she could see the confusion in his eyes. "I get the headaches... I hear the ringing in my ears..." She said quietly, looking out the window as the ringing slowly began to die down to a dull throb again. "I know you feel it too." She turned her gaze back to him, seeing his surprise. "Especially when you're around me or the kid... The uncanny ability to sense when someone's trying to sneak up on you, that weird feeling you get when you're around certain people... You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Mu was silent for a few long moments, watching her watching him. Her turquoise eyes were suddenly very intense, hands still clenched tightly as she watched him, trying to gouge his reaction. 'How does she know about all of this...? I thought I was the only one who felt like that...' "How did you..."

"I'm just like you." Rin murmured quietly pulling her hair back around her face and behind her head, eyes glittering with pain. "You never noticed how alike we look... How similar we are... At first I was glad about that. I was happy you didn't realize... But I knew I couldn't hide the truth forever, it started to hurt too much. And it looked like I wasn't going to be able to hide from you forever either. The truth has a very sneaky way of getting out whether or not you like it... My real name isn't Curtis. It's La Flaga."

Mu stared for a few long moments, entirely taken off guard by her quiet confession. Then he began to notice things he'd never paid any attention to, that'd he'd unconsciously brushed off. Her hair was almost the same golden colour as his, except two or three shades lighter. Her eyes were almost the same shape and colour as his, the only difference was hers had a splash of green. And her knowledge of that odd feeling and headaches he got sometimes... That was undeniable. He leaned back in his chair, staring for quite awhile at her. "You're my... Sister?"

"Younger sister, by about three years." Rin answered readily, fully expecting him to flip out and start denying everything she had said. She was surprised he was just staring at her like he couldn't believe it. She smiled weakly and said softly, "I bet you have a lot of questions for me..."

"Yeah..." Mu replied weakly, not sure what to say to her. He felt the start of the heading beginning again, just behind his ears, something was trying to push back into his mind. Closing his eyes to focus his thoughts, he saw a flash of fire spit into the air and the vision of a burning home. "The fire..."

Rin smiled bitterly and nodded weakly as her gaze drew to the ceiling. "What I told you about the fire before was all true... Our parents died in it, a few servants as well... Only reason I didn't vanish along with them was because of you. You burst into my room, hollering for me... Picked me up out of bed and jumped out the window because it was just too hot for both of us... I wound up in the hospital for third degree burns on my back and shoulder... You just had smoke inhalation you lucky bastard, didn't even have a scratch on you... But you saved my life. The only reason I'm alive is because of you."

Closing his eyes and listening to her repeat the story, the sensations came flooding back to him, and he watched the scene play out in his memory. The adrenalin was pumping in his ears, the scent of smoke was filling his nose and mouth... She was in his arms, crying softly from the pain of her burns. And then she was in the hospital, and he was begging her to be okay... He opened his eyes to look at her again, and she smiling weakly. "I... Remember..." Straightening, the full gravity of what he now had access too hit him like a ton of bricks. 'Memories. I can remember!' "My childhood... Tell me everything you know."

"It's not a fun story, you won't like it." Rin warned him first, eyes sparkling with disgust for the memories herself. "You hated talking about it even after you lived through it, it's going to be a painful experience to remember it again..." Seeing the stubborn gleam in his eyes she sighed softly and murmured, "I know you want to know... But I want to prepare you as best I can because you're still my big brother."

He nodded, closed his eyes and she began to speak again, her voice soft but the words clear as if she was whispering them into his ear. The memories flooded back with her aid, he remembered watching the other boy become the favourite as he and his younger sister were shoved deeper into the background. But somehow, even though that struck him it didn't seem to hurt as much. He felt Rin slips her hands into his, offering him her support and he squeezed gratefully. Some of the memories hit him suddenly and others came slowly, and some of the images were still blurred as if he'd blocked them out himself. One shone brightest for him when it came to him, and he let Rin's hands go as he opened his eyes to stare at her in alarm. "Why would you do something so stupid?"

"Eh?" Rin examined him in surprise, and suddenly she realized what he was talking about and a coy little smile spread across her lips. "Oh... You're talking about your birthday aren't you? I couldn't help it, it was your birthday, I had to do something for you." She smiled broadly, remembering the little toy plane she'd stole from Le Creuset to give to her older brother for his birthday. She'd been punished something fierce, but she really didn't care. She told him sweetly, winking playfully, "You'd done the same thing for me when it was my birthday... Stole me a little blue teddy bear... I decided it was worth the risk and got you that red plane you'd been wanting from Rau."

Mu got to his feet, quickly stepped around to her side of the table and hugged her. She squeaked softly in surprise, and then relaxed and returned the embrace as firmly as she could. "Thank you... For everything."

"It's really okay." Rin squeaked sheepishly, still not over the embarrassment of his sudden hug. "You really don't need to get all sentimental, it was a plane..." He let her go and they continued to talk quietly, catching up on what he'd missed. At the end of her explanation she murmured softly, "I'm sorry I can't tell you everything, I want to, but... For most of your adult life we were separated."

"That's okay Rin." Mu told her honestly, grinning as he playfully ruffled her hair. "You've told me more then I ever expected to remember anyway. This will work for a long time... And besides, even though you can't tell me what I've been doing, you can tell me what you've been up to."

Rin blushed and swatted him in the arm, grumbling under her breath, "I did not miss this type of banter, let me tell you that much..." She knew she was lying and so did he, which only really made her smile as she thought of what to tell him. "Well... I've been piloting for quite awhile, almost as soon as I entered the Academy in Alaska really... I switched loyalties after Josh-A, I couldn't stay with the Alliance after they sacrificed so many of their own soldiers as live bait..." Her scowl was something fierce, hands curled into tight fists as she remembered seeing the base after its self-destruction because of the Cyclops. "I had friends in Alaska. People I know, brave people died because our superiors were too cowardly to fight like men."

"It's alright." Mu told her gently, patting her gently on the shoulder and she looked up to smile weakly at him and lean on his shoulder. He was a little surprise by the gesture, but he relaxed and wound his arm around her. 'We already had a bond before I knew... And it's kind of relaxing to know I have family...'

"You know we're about ten minutes late, right?" Rin asked him out of the blue, looking down at her watch to smile sheepishly at her big brother. "Erica's going to kill us if we don't show up soon."

"Shit!"

* * *

Mu opened the door, fully ready to just lie down on the couch and fall asleep there, it'd been a very long, though exciting day. As soon as the door to home was opened he heard a bright cry of "Daddy!" and a blond-haired blur attacked him. "Whoa!" He nearly fell over, realizing Bryan had been waiting for him to come home and attached himself to his leg.

Murrue's soft laughter was heard from the kitchen, though she wasn't in sight. Mu scooped Bryan up into his arm and hugged the boy as he shrugged out of his coat and shut the door behind him. Still holding onto the little boy he ventured into the kitchen, breathing in the scent of his lover's cooking. "Wow that smells good... What is it?"

"You can wait for dinner." Murrue replied with a little smile, gently elbowing him in the ribs. "Get out of here, let me cook." She noticed Bryan was sitting obediently in Mu's arm and tried not to smile. "You too little boy, get out of the kitchen."

Almost as though they'd rehearsed it they both pulled identical puppy-dog faces and whined, "Please?"

Murrue palmed her face, having had this treatment pulled on her quite a few times with the boys. She groaned through her fingers, "I don't know who's worse, the little boy or the big one." She watched them continue to look at her with those sad looks, and grumbled, "If you two don't go, there's no dessert for either of you."

Bryan quickly squirmed his way down to the floor and ran out of the kitchen, knowing if he was a good boy he'd get a treat. The big boy however was now tempted, peeking over Murrue's shoulder in interest. "So, what's for dessert then?"

"There'll be no dessert if you don't let me cook." Murrue replied stonily, refusing to answer him as she made her way around the small kitchen, tossing in a spice or two before stirring the mixture. She caught him trying to steal a taste and promptly gave him a smart whack on the arm for misbehaving. "Would you stop it?"

"Can't help it, it smells real good in here." Mu replied with a little chuckle, peeking around her around to watch her continue to cook. He followed her around the kitchen, making a nuisance of himself and he earned several glares. "You never told me what dessert was and I want to know."

Murrue grumbled and turned around to fix him with a glare but he only beamed in reply. Mind working quickly to think of how she could knock him off balance, she smiled devilishly. Flipping her hair over her shoulder she took a few steps towards him, tugged on his collar and whispered coyly into his ear, "If you really want to know what dessert is, I can give you a few hints..."

"Hints?" Mu asked with a sudden dry throat, really not have expecting this sudden turn of behaviour. "Uh... What kind of hints?" Her hands skipped gently over his chest, and he shivered unconsciously.

"Well... There's ice cream involved..." Murrue replied with a little smile curving her lips as she ever so slightly pushed herself against him. He gasped softly at the sudden contact and her smile grew more devilish. "And if you're a good boy, there may also be some chocolate sauce..."

"Oh." Mu's eyes widened a little as his imagination immediately ran away with him, and she laughed seductively as she noticed this.

"So.." Gently fixing his collar and mouth still dangerously close to his ear she told him, "You can either hang around and not get any dessert... Or you can be a good boy and wait for me." For extra emphasis her hand skipped down dangerously, and gently brushed against his pants before she turned around and went back to cooking.

Blinking away the sudden daze she'd left him in, he quickly fled the kitchen and went into the living room where Bryan was playing with his favourite toy plane. It only took half an hour before she called her boys for dinner and they quickly dashed to the table. Mu placed the boy in his seat, and took his place beside Murrue.

She idly set down two plates and a small plastic one for Bryan. Mu stared at the dish like he hadn't eaten in years, inhaling the scent of the sauce as he stared at the spaghetti with wide eyes. "Where'd you learn how to cook like this?"

"My mom." Murrue replied with a little grin, picking up a small fork-full of the pasta before spinning it around the fork with her spoon. She took the small bite and swallowed before adding, "She taught me everything I know about cooking. I still have all her recipes... Somewhere." She peeked around her shoulders, trying to remember where she'd put the box. Shrugging idly she took another bite of the dish and asked after swallowing, "Do you like it?"

"It's great." Mu replied brightly, and she immediately blushed and ducked her head. "No really, it's great. You gotta teach me to cook some of these recipes sometime."

"You _can _cook, I nearly forgot that." Murrue teased and he chuckled. She watched Bryan attempt to feed himself, smiling when she noticed his coordination was somewhat improving but still not all there. He'd happily gotten sauce pretty much all over the right side of his face. He was scowling at himself, clearly not happy with this development, and switched his little fork to his left hand instead to try.

"He's stubborn. Just like his mother." Mu remarked with a little smirk, watching Bryan attempt to get a bite into his mouth again. He succeeded this time, and laughed triumphantly, earning grins from both Murrue and Mu.

Dinner was cleared out fast, and Murrue brought out dessert shortly after, an ice-cream dish with strawberries and chocolate sauce. Bryan tucked right and immediately got cream and chocolate all over his face, Mu was reduced to near tears he was laughing so hard, Murrue had trouble with a strawberry when she looked up to see the mess he'd made of himself.

She cleared away the dishes while Mu took Bryan away to be cleaned, and they both met up when their jobs were done, Bryan now clean and in a fresh set of pajamas, running around to help his mother clean up his toys. When the other two changed into their own nighttime clothes, the trio sat down on the couch together, turning on a movie.

The little boy lasted an hour before he started to yawn, and Murrue laughed softly when she noticed him rubbing sleepily at his eye. She made to get up but Mu sat her back down with a swift kiss to the mouth, swept up the little boy and carried him back to his room.

Murrue snuck up behind him to watch, peeking through the door to see what he would do with Bryan. He tucked the little boy into his bed and Bryan promptly hugged his little bear and sat up, waiting patiently for Mu to fetch a little book. She hid a smile as she watched Mu sit on the edge of the bed, and Bryan immediately crawled into his lap.

Mu, oblivious to Murrue at the door, wound an arm around the little boy to tug him closely and opened his favourite book and began to read the story to him. Bryan kept his attention solely on the book, but he cuddled back into Mu's arms as the story reached an end, yawning widely again. By the story's end Bryan was fast asleep.

Mu chuckled and gently slid Bryan back under the covers, tucking him in securely before setting the book back on the shelf. And wandered back outside to see Murrue sitting on the couch, legs tucked neatly under her, waiting for him with an expectant smile. He grinned and hopped onto the couch beside her, sending her up an inch or so from the bounce.

"Bry asleep?" Murrue asked gently, though she already knew the answer. He just grinned and nodded, and she quickly took her son's place on his lap, resting her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. He laughed softly into her neck, winding his arms around her middle to hold her better. She murmured softly into his shoulder, voice muffled, "You look so cute together..."

"Do we?" Mu asked, bewildered by this statement. He looked down at her and she smiled sweetly back up at him and he snorted. "You were watching me read him a story, weren't you?"

"I couldn't resist." Murrue replied teasingly, giving him a gentle poke in the side before snuggling closer into his welcoming arms. The firmness and strength in his arms made her feel protected, safe, home. It was hard not to be comfortable when she was being held. "He loves you so much... I've never seen him take to another man like he's taken to you... Even Kira can't get him to sit in his lap."

"Should I feel special?" Mu asked rhetorically, and her sweet smile told him everything he needed to know. He gave her a small squeeze, nuzzling gently into her neck as his thoughts strayed to the little boy asleep in the far hall. 'Even the kid can't get Bryan to sit in his lap... To be honest, I was a bit surprised when he did that, I've only ever seen him cuddle up to Murrue like that... She's his mom, he loves her like mad... I was startled when he shared something like that with me... But at the same time... It was really nice...'

"You really do like him, don't you?" Murrue asked him quietly, examining his face for an answer, and the bright smile he wore coaxed one from her. "I'm glad... He's a very shy boy around strangers... I never expected him to like you so quickly, but I'm very happy he has... In a few months you've already become the father he's never got to know, you have no idea how happy that makes me."

Mu nuzzled gently into her neck, hearing the pained undertone in her voice easily. 'She always sounds hurt when she talks about him... But she can't lie to me either, she really is happy I've become so close to Bryan... As long as she's happy, and as long as the kid's happy... I'm happy.' He gave her another gentle squeeze and decided to change the topic. "You know, I've been remembering things more and more lately, ever since Rin spoke to me."

"Have you?" Murrue twisted around in his lap to watch him with a bewildered expression, having not known about that yet. Rin hadn't given her details, but she had seen how close the two had gotten in a few short weeks. Rin had taken to jumping on Mu's back whenever she snuck up on him, the two really looked more like siblings nowadays. "Tell me."

"Well... I get flashes every so often... Of that ship you said we were on together..." Mu replied, closing his eyes as he let the memories flash back to him. They were always in uniform, she was either giving out orders or trying to rest but he wasn't letting her, teasing her until she'd get annoyed enough to toss him out. But she would always be smiling at the end, the gentle little one that he'd come to know. "There's this one that I remember pretty clearly... We're in your office I think it was... There's another woman there, black hair, tight kind of looking..."

"That would be the lieutenant." Murrue's voice became weak, and she looked away as her features became pained with grief. 'I still have a hard time believing she's gone... There are times when I feel like she might just be out of my sight, out of reach, ready to come back and give me a sound lashing on being such a softhearted fool... But I know that she's gone, I...' She could see he was getting concerned over her sudden silence and she added hastily, voice still pained, "She... She died. She was a... A good comrade."

"She looks fierce." Mu replied weakly, remembering the woman's scowl during one of confrontations there had been. "Rather scary."

Murrue almost laughed out loud, remembering the many arguments they had had with a little smile. 'Fierce... Yes, that's a good word to describe her... And of course he thought she was scary, he was scared of both of us at times now wasn't he?' "Maybe..." Eager to hear more about his return of memory she pressed, "And?"

"You looked pretty tired... The lieutenant...?" He asked, not sure whether or not that was what to call her, and she nodded in reply before he continued, "Well, the lieutenant stormed out saying something about adding this to her report, and I made a joke about her actually having a list... Then I said something about owing another one to the kid, you nodded and sighed, put your head down in your arms... I pat you on the shoulder, and you said that was harassment."

Murrue grinned, remembering that scene with great amusement. 'And you froze, you didn't see me grinning...' She added mentally, trying not to laugh even now. "Was that all you remembered?"

"No, not really... I was looking at you.,.. And to be honest, all I could think about was how to make you speechless this time, I had half a mind to ask you if kissing you was harassment..." Mu thought with a little smile, knowing that she'd probably have blushed immediately and started to stammer. She was smiling back up at him, clearly remembering the moment herself. He began to absently toy with her hair and muttered quietly, "I think I was falling in love with you already by then..."

'I_ know_ I was falling in love with you by then...' Murrue thought with a inward smile, watching him gazing out at something she couldn't see. He continued to gently caress her hair, clearly lost in thought. She smiled gently, knowing he was happy to begin remembering things, she silently thanked Rin for that. 'I guess her telling him they were related was a trigger of sorts...' Her smile vanished slowly, replaced with a worried look. 'If he's remembering ORB now... Soon he'll remember the details of why we were there... And how he's a fugitive... I wish he'd never remember that, then he wouldn't see how much danger we're still in, even with the war over... And then he'll remember us...' Her eyes closed, and unconsciously she remembered the passionate nights they'd spend together, the heated moments they stole whenever they could... 'And then Bryan...'

"I'm just glad I have my chance with you now." Mu said softly, giving her a gentle peck on the cheek and she smiled when she looked up at him. "I love you..." She murmured the words back before snatching a small kiss, and they sat together on the couch for awhile, relishing each other's embrace.

"Tired yet?"

"Mmm?"

"You're sleepy." Mu teased, having noticed she was getting very relaxed in his arms, drifting off every now and then before snapping back to attention for a few moments.

"No I'm not." Murrue grumbled drowsily, wanting to stay up and comfortable in his strong arms. "Wanna stay awake..."

"You need to sleep." Mu teased again, shifting slightly to wind his arms around her. Without warning he got to his feet, lifting her up with him. She made a strangled squeak of surprise but he only laughed and carried her back to her room. By the time he put her down on the bed, she was already asleep. He laughed softly and slid into bed beside her, idly brushing back her hair to watch her angelic smile.

'God I love her more then I can put into words.' He continued to brush her hair away from her face gently, stroking her pale cheek. 'I'm really glad to be with her... We must have been very close for her to let me live with her without hesitating once... And we've gotten so close now... She never looked like she regret it... As long as she's happy... I'm happy.'

**AN**

**(Giggles in a very fangirlish manner) No smuts this time, but I couldn't help myself and tossed in a naughty Murrue anyway, I so still blame the medication. Anyway, so we get a nice fluffy ending, (and a slight twist of the bittersweetness, but that didn't really last at all) and nice slightly fun chapter, and Mu gets some memories coming back. That'll play big part in the story, lmao, (isn't that obvious?) Though I'll warn you, like all my other stories I can't resist the tiny pinches of drama here and there... I warned you, so don't yell at me for later twists!**

**Sky**


	17. Chapter 16

"Shit." Rin swore softly under her breath, yanking hard on her controls to jerk her Murasame backwards. Hissing quietly, she felt a small pulse of pain in hr temples and spun around, beam saber hissing in her free hand. She managed to block the incoming strike from the "enemy" Murasame stalking her, ducking down with incredible speed to dodge the second strike.

"Pick it up La Flaga." Erica's voice rang in her ear, the director watching from the tower across the battlefield.

"Kiss my ass Simmons!" Rin roared back, struggling to knock back the blue coloured Murasame that was currently locked in battle with her. Roaring a string of profanities, she quickly aimed the "Ikazuchi" rifle on her left arm, firing several shots at close range.

The material hit the enemy unit with surprising strength, sending them staggering back with gaping 'holes' in their shoulder armour. The warrior in Rin was a bit let down by the damage that wasn't being done, but quickly decided to have her fun anyway. Beam saber fixed in her hand she pounced, knocking the unit down with a harsh blow to the cockpit, placed her foot over the torso and slammed her beam saber down the centre, leaving it in a 'system down' state.

The whistle rang to signal an end to training, and Rin elegantly hopped away and back to the hanger where her brother was waiting for her. After disembarking quickly, she changed from her pilot suit to her standard clothes, spotting him leaning on the wall waiting for her.

Smirking, she took a few quick running steps and pounced, landing on his back with a girlish giggle. He chuckled and staggered forwards, pretending she'd knocked him over too hard. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek Rin hopped down and said cheerfully, "Pity you missed the match, I kicked ass."

"Did you now? I find that rather easy to believe." Mu teased, tugging her into a gentle headlock and ruffling her hair around until she laughed for mercy.

"Yo, La Flaga! Come over here, I need to talk to you."

Rin turned around, not expecting Erica to be waiting for her. She shrugged out of her brother's easy hold and said nonchalantly, "Be right back." She sauntered over to her boss, looking very disinterested. "What is it Simmons?"

"There's been a nation-wide alert." Erica told her with a sigh, pulling off her cap and crossing her arms as she surveyed her friend with serious eyes. "You've heard about what's been going on in Alaska, right?"

"Yeah, of course... Terrorists have been kicking up quite a lot of chaos..." Rin replied with narrowing eyes, not understanding what this had to do with her. "They've been asking for help because of the number of suits that have been being stolen and used for the attacks... Why are you telling me this?"

"ORB volunteered to send pilots to help." Erica replied quietly, remembering with how much dislike the representative had given the order. She hadn't been happy either with the announcement, but they had no choice but to start gathering the pilots on the military and reserve list.

Rin understood without any further information, and her narrowed eyes widened in shock. Then her hands gripped into fists and she growled fiercely, "You want me to go out? Now? Are you kidding me?! I just got my brother back, I've just _finally_ begun to settle! And you're shipping me out to Alaska _now_!? Hell no!"

"Rin you're the one who signed up onto the reserves." Erica told her tiredly, rubbing a hand over her face as she watched Rin scowl fiercely in the face of her calmness. "You're the one who wanted to fight. Now you have to. It's an order, not a request. You don't have a choice in the matter."

Rin scowled again, ready to raise hell and demons if she had to. Slowly the fight left her as she met her friend's tired eyes. She knew fighting against the order wouldn't do any good, it was going to happen whether or not she wanted it to. She took a deep breath and she asked quietly, "How long?"

"Two to eight weeks... You could be gone for as long as two months if they decide to keep you." Erica replied just as quietly, eyes flickering with pain as she looked away, unable to keep her gaze straight. Rin's hands curled into fists again. "I'm sorry."

"How soon am I expected to be gone?" Rin asked sharply, not wanting to hear any apologies. She knew Erica was trying to keep it as light as possible, but the soldier in both of them knew battles had a very annoying tendency to drag out for years if it happened. She didn't want to hear apologies or goodbyes, she wanted the facts as fast as she could get them.

"Two days."

Rin winced, wondering how in the world was she going to be expected to explain things to her friends in two days. 'Murrue's going to throw a fit... She'll be very pissed off with me...' Her heart ached sharply at the thought of leaving for so long, but she swallowed the pain and kept a straight face. "I'll be here when the shuttle leaves."

She turned around without another word to her supervisor and walked back to where Mu was waiting for her. She realized her pain must have been evident on her face because he was looking quite concerned, and she said weakly, "I need to talk to you and Murrue... Right away."

* * *

"WHAT?!"

Rin winced again, knowing she'd been right in judging how her brunette friend was going to react. She hid her face in her hands, listening to Murrue ranting violently about the news. She finally mumbled, "Murrue, you heard me..."

"If you think I'm letting you go out there, you've got another thing coming!" Murrue nearly roared, disbelief and rage clouding her better judgement. The soldier in her knew that there was no fighting the law, especially now, but her heart refused to let her friend go. "There's no way I'm letting you go out there, _especially_ in your condition!"

"I may be sick but I'm one of the best Erica has!" Rin countered defensively, bristling instinctively at the mention of her illness. She still wondered whether she'd made the right decision in telling Murrue about her illness, but she had little other choice, she had broken down in a fit while visiting earlier that month. "I signed up Murrue, I have to go."

"Damn to hell you don't!"

"Rin, you can't just go." Mu tried his own luck, having been arguing with her ever since she'd told him. Murrue had immediately jumped into the fray, but it seemed like they were having no luck. "What about Bry? He'd be really confused if you just vanished."

"I'll be back, just not for awhile." Rin grumbled softly, though her chest was hurting at the mention of her nephew. "I have to go Murrue... The decision's already been made, my suit's been signed out and shipped to Alaska, I _have_ to go."

"I won't let you." Murrue hissed viciously, hands curling tightly into fists. "I'll fight it, I'll damn pull Cagalli down myself and force her to pardon you. You're not going."

"Murrue don't fight it, it's only going to hurt everybody if you do." Rin muttered weakly, running a hand through her already ruffled hair, turquoise eyes dead. "It's the law and you can't fight it. And besides," Her eyes sparkled with fight and she challenged fiercely, "if you were in my shoes you'd damn well be going too."

Murrue opened her mouth to argue and had to close it grudgingly, looking away with an acid glare. 'She's right... If I was her, I'd be going... And I can't argue with the law, it's edgy enough that I'm even here... But still... I don't have to like it.'

Rin flinched at the sudden silence that filled the room, and desperately tried to find a way to lighten the heavy blanket of tension that had settled. "At least you've got my brother here, he's staying. You won't need to worry about not having company." No one answered, and Rin sighed softly, hanging her head and looking at the ground. She finally mumbled, "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... But... It's who I am. I'm a pilot, I'm a fighter, I'm a soldier. It's not just my duty to go, it's my nature to go. I don't have a choice, not when I'm being called."

Murrue took a deep breath, wanting to argue with every fibre of her being, but she saw how Rin had resigned herself to fate. And god help her... She couldn't argue, not when her friend was looking like that. "I'll let you go... But you damn well better come back. I'll drag you off the battlefield myself if you don't."

Rin finally cracked a very weak smile and nodded, murmuring quietly, "I'll be back. You have my word." She got to her feet at the same moment Murrue did, and the two embraced tightly, as if they were saying goodbye forever.

Mu awkwardly hung back until they let each other go, and Rin turned to hug him next, nuzzling into his chest to be held tighter. He said softly into her golden hair, hugging her close, "I love you little sis... Be careful."

"I'll be fine." Rin murmured back softly, as if she was trying to convince herself too. "I'll be fine."

The two days passed like lightning, it seemed much too soon. The morning came too soon, and the family of three ventured to Morgenroete to see Rin off. Murrue was startled to see Erica was there as well, waiting back quietly in the shadows. What really startled the woman was that tear streaks were evident on Erica's face, she looked as though she hadn't slept in days.

"Erica...?"

Erica blinked, not realizing she had been being watched, and quickly dried her face on the back of her sleeve. She muttered something incoherent, turning back towards where the shuttle was.

Rin idly passed her bag to another soldier, turning to see the little group that had gathered to see her off. She smiled broadly and skipped over to them, snatching Bryan up into her arms and tickling the little boy gently. "Hey there Bry, come to see me off have ya?"

"Come home soon?" Bryan asked softly, staring up at her with wide emerald eyes, looking anguished to see her go.

"Oh yeah, it'll be before you know it." Rin told him cheerfully, giving the boy a swift kiss on both cheeks before setting him down beside Murrue. She smiled wearily at her friend, and half-heartedly opened her arms to her. Murrue quickly took the offer and they hugged tightly. "Look... I love you, okay? I'll be back before you know it, and I'll be perfectly fine. Stop frowning."

"I love you too." Murrue said quietly, hugging her close again, loathe to let the blond woman go. "You're the sister I never had, sorry if I worry like mad when you're out of my sight you damn troublemaker."

"I'm not that bad. You've got two boys who are much worse than me." Rin replied, gesturing to Bryan and Mu, grinning from ear to ear at their looks of innocence. "I can take care of myself, you _need_ to take care of them. They're a hell of a lot worse than I ever could be."

"I'm right here you know." Mu grumbled dejectedly, hanging his head and pouting when Rin made her sly little comment about them. She beamed at him, and he grinned back, welcoming her into a hug and she happily accepted the embrace. He ruffled her hair lovingly and said quietly, "You're good Rin... But nobody's indestructible. Just be careful."

"Feh, _I'm _indestructible." Rin replied with a smirk, confidence brimming out of the young woman. Murrue shot her a glare, and Mu rolled his eyes, but Rin merely continued to smile. "Stop looking at me like that, really, it's nothing I haven't done before. I lived through a war, a battle won't be anything to worry about."

After another round of hugs and quiet goodbyes, Rin watched them walk off, but noticed there was still one figure waiting quietly by the wall. She crossed her arms herself and watched the redhead for a few long moments before asking, "Are you going to watch me all day or are you going to say something to me?"

"Depends." Erica answered quietly, watching the blond girl watching her. "Are you still mad with me?"

"I wasn't mad at you... I was more mad at the person who gave you the message to send." Rin grumbled under her breath, properly chagrined at the question. "I shot the messenger, it wasn't my right to do that Erica. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I expected as much." Erica replied with a little shrug, watching Rin blush and glance away. "It's not your fault for being angry with having to leave."

"No, I guess I can agree with you there... But it is my fault for being such a bitch to you." Rin mumbled awkwardly, looking sheepishly at her supervisor again. "And to be honest... I really wouldn't want to go out leaving things like we did."

Erica smiled weakly back, and the two hugged tightly. "Be careful." She said gently, tousling the blond's hair in an affectionate gesture. "Your brother was right, you're not indestructible. Just watch yourself alright? There'd be a lot of people who'd miss you if you did something very idiotic."

"I'm going to be _fine_." Rin stressed on the last word, poking Erica in the nose. "Stop worrying so much, you'll fuck up my karma." She let her friend go, straightening her new ORB uniform with a little smile. "I'm going to be fine, it's a routine call for reinforcements. There's zero chance I'll even see battle."

Erica knew the woman was lying just for the sake of calming her down, but she appreciated the gesture anyway. The two embraced tightly again and then Erica let her go, watching her carefully. "I want you back here. You're spot's going to be waiting for you to come back... And so am I."

"I'll see you soon Erica." Rin promised, ruffling her hair gently as she idly stepped backwards, eyes flickering towards her shuttle. "Take care of the boys and missy for me. They really need somebody to kick them a kick in the right direction every so often."

"I'll try my best."

"See you." Rin shouldered her bag again, flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked into the shuttle without looking back, knowing if she did she'd only be tempted to stay. She collapsed into her small chair, staring up at the ceiling with a little smile. She closed her eyes and let the gentle rocking of the shuttle relax her stiff body and she watched ORB slowly disappear from the window as it took off across the water.

'Well... Here's to coming home and one hell of a welcome back party.'

**AN**

**Bleh, did not end the way I wanted it to, and it was really short. But oh well, at least I got it finished anyway. And yeah, chapter was Rin centric but she's going for awhile so nyah. There will be plenty of fluff next chapter and those coming up to satisfy you fluff-addicts XD**

**Sky**


	18. Chapter 17

"You two are insatiable." Murrue grumbled halfheartedly, walking behind the boys as they raced forward, laughing and chattering as mile a minute. Bryan was hanging onto Mu's shoulders, Mu racing ahead and stopping abruptly to make the ride more fun to Bryan.

Murrue was trying her best not to smile, watching the two run around. She held the basket idly in her hands, smiling a little when Bryan pointed to the playground in the centre of the park. Mu charged off laughing out loud, and Bryan started to squeal as he ran.

Rolling her eyes affectionately, she picked out a spot on the grass under a large oak and set out the checkered blanket she'd brought along. Sitting down on it and setting the little basket down she watched Mu set Bryan in the swings and start to give him measured pushes. The little boy was laughing hard by the time they had really gotten into it and she couldn't suppress a grin.

After awhile the mischievous part of her mind started to work and before she really could think it through she'd gotten to her feet and started to examine the large oak she'd been sitting under. A little grin quirked her lips when she touched the rough bark tenderly. Memories flew back quickly, and she was back at her old home in Montreal, sitting up in the trees with her super soaker, aiming and picking off unwary kids during the summer.

Before she knew it she'd climbed easily up the tree, sitting up on one of the larger and sturdier branches within her reach. It didn't take very long before Mu and Bryan returned, and she hid her giggles when they started to look around curiously. She called down before they could get worried, grinning and waving to them. "Hey there!"

"How the hell did you get up there?" Mu asked before he could stop himself, completely taken aback to see his lover up in the tree, grinning broadly at them. She elegantly hopped down as if she'd done it all her life, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Uh..."

"Let's eat."

Sitting down and curling up close, they began picking out the sandwiches from the basket. Mu handed her a soda and she sipped it gently, leaning on his shoulder as they continued to pick through the food she'd brought. Bryan sat on Mu's lap the entire time, peeking around at everything around him, but he obediently stayed put.

After they cleaned up, Bryan asked sweetly to continue to play, and after packing up they sat on the park bench and watched Bryan play. Murrue peeked over Mu's shoulder, spotting her son playing with a dark haired girl about his age, and the two sat down together in the sandbox, giggling and laughing.

"Think he's ready for a little brother or sister?" Mu asked her casually, watching her freeze up and the blood rush to her cheeks burning crimson. He grinned broadly and leaned close, brushing aside her hair and pressing his lips gently to her neck. "Think about it though..." He told her in a husky mutter, hearing her gasp softly at the attention, "Don't you think he'd like it?"

Murrue was scrambling for words, heat now flooding down her body form where his lips were pressing against her skin. She was both now incredibly flustered and incredibly uncomfortable. Wracking her mind hurriedly, she tried her best to find something to say to him. Blushing furiously, she stammered awkwardly, "I-I guess he'd like a little brother or sister- Oh!"

Mu chuckled against her ear, knowing that she'd gasped because he'd decided to play it on a little bit more. "You think so...?"

"I can't think when you're doing that." Murrue murmured breathlessly, closing her eyes against the fresh wave of pleasure that nearly knocked her off her feet when he continued to move his lips farther back her neck.

"I know." Mu told her with another low aggressive chuckle, hand winding gently around her waist. She sighed weakly, finally giving into the touch and he pulled away.

Murrue turned to look at him, fixing him with the best dirty look she could manage. "You're a jackass."

"In the park?" Mu asked with raised eyebrows, though the flash of intrigue in her darkened marigold eyes didn't escape his sight. Suddenly smirking broadly at this he leaned in closer again and growled low in her ear, "In the grass, huh...? Do you wanna know what I'd do to you?"

Murrue stiffened, closing her eyes as his whispering slowly but steadily grew more risque. A slight shivering grew up and she nipped her lower lip trying to control herself but it wasn't going so well with him leaning so close and whispering into her ear. Finally she had to pull away, cheeks flushed. She caught his gaze and told him seriously, voice a little bit shaky from the desire now running rampant down her body, "I've considered it... The sibling thing!" She added hastily when he started to grin broadly, whacking him gently in the shoulder.

He grinned but the humour was lost from his eyes when he asked her just as seriously, "And who would you choose to be the father...?"

Murrue smiled broadly and leaned on his shoulder, sighing contentedly when he wrapped his arm around her. She said softly, voice tender, "Who do you think I'd pick?" She felt him freeze up a little, and she glanced up to see the surprise in his eyes. Smiling tenderly she slipped her hand into his and moved to give him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Surprised...?"

"That'd you think about me like that..." Mu admitted sheepishly, reaching forward to gently twirl a lock of her chocolate hair around his fingers. "I'd be happy to stay for as long as you want me to.. You're home feels like my home already." She smiled broadly and he smiled back gently, continuing to toy absently with her hair. "If it makes you and Bryan happy... I'd stay with you forever."

"You have _no idea_ how happy that'd make me." Murrue murmured back softly, leaning into the treatment. He grinned at her and couldn't resist the temptation to kiss her. Leaning closer as it picked up passion she had to pull away before it got out of hand. She was giggling softly when he pulled her close for a bear-hug. Peeking up at him she asked quietly, "Would you mind being a father of two or more kids?"

"Well I'm basically already Bryan's dad... I'd love to have kids..." Mu replied after a few moments of thought that really weren't needed. He glanced down at her, regarding her hopeful expression carefully. He grinned and asked playfully, "Do you have something you're not telling me?"

Murrue blushed fiercely, gazing down at her knees in embarrassment. She managed to mumble awkwardly, unable to look up at him, "I... I uh, had a dream earlier... It was about us, in the future, a few years... And there were two little ones running around with Bryan..."

Mu was trying his best to not burst with delight, and finally hugged her tightly, whispering hoarsely into her ear, "I'd be delighted to make that dream true."

Murrue smiled broadly, feeling him nuzzling gently into her neck, completely looking as though he was on top of the world. She sighed softly, leaning into the attention. His arms squeezed gently around her middle, and she placed her hands gently on his arms. 'I'm so glad... He looks so happy...'

They sat like that for awhile, talking softly and laughing quietly at inside jokes. Bryan came up to them, sand covering his knees, and tugged gently on his mother's pantleg. "Hmm? Oh, ready to go home Bryan?"

"Yep."

"Alright."

* * *

"How long's it been since Rin was shipping out now?" Mu asked himself with a thoughtful look, busying drying the dishes while Murrue set Bryan down for bed now that the lateness caught up with him. "About four weeks already..."

"Worrying?" Her soft voice whispered into his ear, and he smiled as he felt her arms winding around his shoulders. She pressed a gentle kiss to his ear, leaning on his back.

"A little." Mu admitted sheepishly, craning his neck to see her watching him with a gentle smile. "I just got her back Murrue... I really can't imagine losing her now." She gave him another little squeeze, silently comforting him. He sighed quietly, turning around and pulled her close again, wrapping his arms securely around her waist. "Thanks..."

"Don't worry. It's only for a few more weeks then she'll be back home." Murrue reminded him quietly, cuddling as close as she could to him, his arms pulling her even closer now. "We just need to wait it out."

"Oi vey..." Mu mumbled into her hair, breathing in the floral scent of her shampoo. She took his hand in hers and they walked together back into the living room, collapsing with earnest onto the beige couch together. It only took a few moments before she was curled against his lap, and he had established a comfortable grip on her.

"What's on?"

"That crime drama you like..." Mu replied, looking over the channel selection with little interest. It was rather hard to focus when she was gently drawing circles on his leg, and he was sure she knew it.

"It's a rerun." Murrue murmured absently, continuing to trace shapes on her lover's arm as it secured itself around her middle. She felt his lips press against her hair and she smiled a little. "Why don't you pick something tonight?"

"Hm?" Mu looked at her again, really not having been paying any attention whatsoever. She laughed softly, poking him in the ribs and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry... Uh what?"

"Why don't you pick something for us to watch tonight?" Murrue repeated with a trace of laughter in her voice, giving him another gentle poke to the ribs.

"Sorry." Mu apologized again sheepishly, having lost concentration when her fingertips began to brush against his arm again. The light touch was maddening. "Um... Let's see... How about the movie where the ship goes down? You like the star, don't you?"

"I said he was cute, you're never going to forgive me for that are you?" Murrue grumbled under her breath, slipping out from his embrace to fetch the DVD. His deep chuckle rang from behind her and she rolled her eyes, retorting, "You only like the movie because the girl cuts part of her dress off, so don't you start accusing me of crushing on an actor."

"I only like that part because she reminds me of you." Mu pointed out cheerfully, leaning back on the couch to admire the view as she leaned down to find the DVD in the stack of others. "She's got a little blond haired boy too."

"Oh shut up." Murrue grumbled again, though she was trying to hide the little smile that was threatening to spread across her lips at his comment. She found the DVD and quickly set it in, before hopping back onto the couch and into the waiting arms of her lover. She cuddled back as far as she could go into his lap, and watched the movie play out.

Mu hopped up before the features for other movies began to play, snagging a bag of popcorn that he'd tossed into the microwave a few minutes earlier. He cleared the back end of the couch and hopped back down, and she immediately snagged the bag herself, settled into his lap before letting him have it again.

Roughly half way through, by the time it'd gotten to the point where the new couple were looking for the woman's son, Mu was intent on distracting her as much as possible. She swatted at him, trying to get him to quit the attentions but he only chuckled and continued cheerfully.

"Think he's heroic?" Mu asked with a low chuckle, moving his lips lazily up and down her neck, effectively keeping her trapped against him. "Would ya date him?"

"Don't tease." Murrue admonished him quietly, trying to keep her focus on the movie but he wasn't letting up in the least. She felt his hand gently brush away her hair from her neck and almost instantly his mouth was there, peppering her sensitive skin with kisses. She squirmed uncomfortably, trying to escape from his grasp but he refused to release her. Knowing he wasn't about to, she picked up a kernel of popcorn and before he knew what she was doing, popped it into his mouth.

Mu released her out of surprise, and she immediately scrambled off to the other side of the couch, trying her best not to giggle. She made it out of his reach before he could keep his grip on her, and she settled on the armrest, giggling fit to burst now. He caught her eyes, and with the best serious look he could muster, gestured for her to come back with his index finger.

Murrue was forcing herself to not burst out laughing out loud, knowing if she did she'd probably end up waking her son. She perched on the armrest, tense and ready to bolt if he decided to try and make a lunge at her. His serious look never left, and that really wasn't helping with her struggle to not laugh.

"You wouldn't do it." Mu told her seriously, though she could see how the corners of his mouth were starting to raise in the beginnings of the broad grin he favoured around her.

"You wanna bet?" Murrue challenged, marigold eyes sparkling with amusement. The two stared each other down, neither moving for what seemed like ages. Then time sped up and Mu lunged for her but she jumped off the armrest and took off down the hall laughing.

Chuckling quietly, Mu jumped over the couch to give chase. He was startled how quickly she'd spin out of reach, she was quick at evading if he jumped for her and she'd take off before he could recover. She spun out of reach again, dodging his reach and giggling when she ran off again.

Finally he had her cornered against the wall, and she was still trying to keep a straight face as he aimlessly wandered closer. "Cornered now Murrue..." She bit her lower lip to try to stifle her laughter, backing up against the wall. "Where ya gonna run? Or are you going to give up?"

"Not a chance." Murrue shot back, part of her really enjoying the chase. She took another step back and then froze, unable to go further, her back pressed up against the end of the hall.

Mu grinned, looking predatorily at her as he continued to advance, quickly closing the space between them. A hungry look entered his eyes as he increased his pace and it only took a few moments before he only had a step between them. His gaze swept down her body and a smug look spread across his face. Without warning he'd taken her hands and quickly pinned them above her head on the wall, watching the surprise flicker in her face.

"Oh." Murrue didn't move, watching him watching her with that same hungry look that had yet to disappear. With casual and somewhat infuriating slowness, he leaned down and his mouth found her neck. She immediately stiffened, closing her eyes instinctively as his free hand began to move down her front.

"I've been waiting since you left me hanging in the park." Mu told her huskily, chuckling when the only sound she managed to make was a soft whimper. Smirking, he only continued to kiss her neck and collarbone, lazily undoing her blouse with his free hand while his other held her hands captive. "And to be honest... I'm kind of tired of waiting, so..."

"So?" Murrue asked breathlessly, opening her eyes to look at him, cheeks flushed a hectic red and legs beginning to tremble with the effort to continue to stand.

"I'm not going to be so patient today." Mu told her in a low growl, meeting her dazed marigold eyes with a proud smirk. He quickly claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss to distract her for a moment before he tugged her into his arms and into their now shared room.

"Oh..." Murrue groaned softly, coming to her senses when she landed gently on her back on the bed. Mind confused, she could only watch as he easily did away with his shirt and hers, staring down at her with those same hungry eyes of his.

Mu smirked again at this, quite proud of the fact that he could do this to her. He gently moved his hands down her sides, earning a soft sigh of pleasure. Goaded on by this, he leaned down and captured her lips in a blazing kiss that quickly dragged them down the path of pleasured insanity.

Lifetimes passed, and by the time they recovered their senses the night seemed to have already flown, giving way to the early morning that chased at its heels. Mu chuckled softly, watching his lover sleeping soundly beside him, looking completely content. Reaching out, he tenderly brushed back her hair from her face, admiring the peaceful smile that she was wearing.

"I love you..." Mu whispered quietly into her ear, and she mumbled in her sleep, moving closer into his arms. Smiling a bit more, he was content to watch her sleep for a little while. His mind began to wander as he watched her sleep, brushing his thumb of her still pinked cheeks. 'I love that blush...'

"_Did you ever wonder what was up here when you were a kid, Cap'n?"_

"_Eh?" Murrue looked over at him in surprise, raising her eyebrows when she spotted him staring out into the dark vastness of space with a very serious look on his face. She turned her gaze out the window, into the dark velvet that surrounded the ship, crossing her arms as she let her gaze wander. _

"_Y'know, when we're children, all we've got is our imagination and nothing else to hold our beliefs back." Mu remarked with a little smile lifting the corners of his mouth, eyes focussed on the faraway stars that were glittering miles and miles away. "You could believe in whatever you wanted and nobody would tell you otherwise... Magic, aliens, whatever... Ever miss those days? The childish naivete?"_

_Murrue struggled to keep an indifferent face, but it wasn't any good, a wistful sort of look turned her expression and she sighed quietly. Arms still crossed tightly over her middle, she mumbled softly,"Don't we all miss it? The cold reality hits you... And you've lost all sense of real wonder... We all find ourselves looking back sometime or another, wondering whatever happened to that little kid who would look up at the sky and let their minds cook up the most insane but magical dream..."_

"_It's a pity how the world is." Mu remarked with a shake of his head, gaze still on the stars, mouth hardening a little. "Look at the kids... They've got no idea what they've walked into." He shook his head again, snorting derisively before he corrected himself sarcastically, "No, they _think_ they've got an idea of what war is, of what battle is... They've traded the rest of their lives to help a cause that really isn't worth fighting for."_

_Murrue was silent, looking over at him to study him carefully. He was stiff, posture more straight then she'd seen before. His mouth was hardened into a stiff line, and his eyes were narrowed. She watched him closely, marigold eyes softening a little in concern. She murmured softly, voice losing the straight edge of professionalism, "You really care about Kira... Don't you?"_

"_He's nothing but a really foolish kid who's running headfirst into warfare." Mu replied with another snort of derision, though his voice was harsh and eyes cold. "I understand his motives, why he'd do it... He's protecting his friends because he has no other choice... But I can't exactly say it's all his fault, can I? After all, we're the ones who basically forced him into the cockpit."_

_Murrue flinched, and her gaze immediately turned to the floor. She was silent, mulling things over in her mind for a few long moments. "You think you have a chance to maybe save an innocent... To keep doing what you've been ordered to do, for the sake of getting out alive... And you've destroyed someone's whole future."_

_Mu turned his gaze to her now, watching her eyes study the floor with no interest, face set but eyes sparkling with pain. He was quiet, watching her closely this time. 'She really feels a lot of guilt for pushing that kid into the cockpit in the first place... I can't say I don't get why, she's not like the ensign at all, she thinks with her heart first...' "Don't start putting all the pressure on yourself, the kid was the one who made the final choice to keep piloting..."_

_Much to his surprise her jaw set and her hands curled into tight fists, anger showing through her normally guarded expression. "If I hadn't shoved him inside the Strike, if I thought more like a soldier, if I hadn't even looked twice at him, he'd be in a shuttle on the way to ORB by now! I destroyed five children's lives because I was too busy worrying about saving my own ass!"_

"_Hey, don't talk like that, you can't be to blame for everything that happened." Mu said immediately, placing his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. He wasn't very surprised to see the tears beginning in her eyes, she wasn't as tough as she appeared. "Look at me." He said softly when she looked away, and she turned her gaze back to him, eyes still deeply troubled. "You aren't at fault for what happened at Heliopolis. You can't blame yourself for doing what you did, you had no other choice if you wanted to get out of there alive. You saved his life, and same with the other kids. Sure, the favour's been returned tenfold, but the fact is, you can't keep putting all of this on yourself. Sometimes you've got to lighten up a bit on yourself."_

_Murrue didn't answer, searching his face for a few terse moments before tearing her gaze back to the floor, feeling the beginnings of blush beginning to stain her face. She whispered quietly, awkwardly, the blush creeping up her neck to really burn in her cheeks, "Thanks... I guess I... I needed a kick in the ass. Thank you Lieutenant."_

"_Don't thank me, it's the truth." Mu told her cheerfully, and before he could stop himself he ruffled her hair in a playful gesture. "Sometimes I guess a cold splash of reality is good for you."_

"_Sometimes." Murrue conceded with a little smile beginning to grow on her lips, feeling his hands lazily shrug off her shoulders before returning to his sides, she gently straightened her mussed hair, still smiling._

_Mu watched her look out at the sky, the little smile on her lips making all the difference in her face. Combined with the little blush that was still gently gracing her face, it only made her all the more beautiful. 'She probably doesn't realize just how beautiful she is... Just standing here, smiling and looking like that would be enough to make anybody stop to stare... Including me...'_

'She used to blush like that... A lot back when I knew her... I'm glad that that hasn't changed... Her hair's grown longer, she's maybe a tiny bit taller and thinner but... She's still damn beautiful.'

**AN**

**(Grins very broadly) Heehee. That'd be all I would say but I couldn't get away with that heheh. Thanks much to sis for helping me out with ideas (damn I was stumped for ages). Hmm what to explain... Ah, I had no excuse for most of the flashback really, but you'd think Murrue would feel a lot of guilt for pulling Kira and the others into the war (tho it really wasn't her fault) and Mu would be so easy to talk to (little fangirlish squeak) Hee! Drop a review my way if you feel the need!**

**Sky**


	19. Chapter 18

_He was back at the Observation Deck, staring out the window at space again... Something was different about this time though, the ship seemed much more familiar to him now, it was incredibly silent, the calm before a great storm. He was alone this time, and he sighed, pocketing his hands as he watched the darkness with little interest._

"_What are you thinking about?" A soft and very familiar voice whispered into his ear, followed by a pair of thin arms wound around his shoulders._

"_Hm?" Mu looked over his shoulder in slight surprise, before smiling a little when he saw her watching him with concerned eyes. She wasn't wearing her jacket, a first for her to come out of her room not in full uniform, and she looked as though she'd been searching for him._

"_You've been staring out the window forever... Something on your mind?" She asked softly, tilting her head to the side, still watching him with that same loving concern in her face. She gave him a little squeeze, holding onto him carefully, minding his still sore shoulder. "Are you okay?"_

"_I'm okay... Just thinking, that's all." Mu replied honestly, smiling when she didn't look appeased by his answer. He took one of her small hands in his, pressing a gentle kiss to the back before adding, "Really, I'm fine, I was just thinking."_

"_About what?" She asked gently, finally seeming to be satisfied, though her curiosity got the best of her and she leaned on his back, chin resting on his shoulder. "Hmm?"_

"_About us." Mu answered truthfully, watching her blink in surprise before loosening her arms from his shoulders to stand beside him, getting a better view of his expression. "I've just been thinking about us..."_

"_Good thoughts I hope." Murrue said in a guarded tone of voice, taking a small step back. _

"_Oh of course." Mu answered sweetly, shooting her a brilliant smile. He watched her relax and the smile returned to her face just as quickly. He felt her hand slip gently into his and he continued genially, "I was thinking about how after the war... We'll have this nice house in ORB... You can have that garden you've always wanted... And maybe when the time's right, we won't live there by ourselves..."_

_Murrue blushed deeply at the comment, and she felt a small flutter in her heart that only really brought more heat to her face. She swallowed hard to attempt to control herself and murmured back shyly, "A family...?"_

"_I'd like one." Mu remarked with a little smile, and gently squeezed her hand between his. "That is... If you'd like one." Her shy but bright smile told him all he needed to know and he grinned back broadly at her before wrapping her up in a tight bear hug. "Then it's settled. As soon as this is all over, we can go home together."_

"_We'd need to get married before we start with a family." Murrue squeaked, the words barely making it out of her mouth because of his tight hold and her sheer embarrassment. "You know that..."_

"_Are you putting words in my mouth?" Mu asked her with raised eyebrows and she burst out giggling, though the blush never faded. He chuckled softly, reaching out to gently brush away a lock of her hair from her face. "I don't want to set anything in stone yet... Not till we're back home."_

"_That's understandable." Murrue remarked quietly, still enfolded tightly in his arms, murmuring softly against his neck. "I love you..."_

"_I love you too..."_

Mu woke up groaning, feeling the familiar pulsing of a headache in his temples as he sat up in bed. Rubbing his forehead he was well aware of Murrue still fast asleep beside him. He looked over at her, taking everything in before he finally really came awake. 'That dream... No, it wasn't a dream, I know it was a memory...'

He slowly slid out of bed, pulling some pants on over his boxers, and he silently slid out of the room and outside to sit on the porch facing the beach. He sat down on the steps, sighing softly before he glanced up at the black velvet sky. A bright full moon was hanging in the sky, casting a silver glow on the sand. And he let his mind run free.

'I know it was a memory... It was too clear, too solid to not be one... Just like the rest of my memories I get when I dream... She was there... Real... And we were... Together? More then friends, much much more... I could feel it around her, but she never would let on about it, she said we were friends... Why did she lie...?'

"Mu...?"

Mu looked up, startled to see her at the door, watching him worriedly, wearing nothing but his shirt. He really didn't know what to say to her and she walked up to him, eyes searching his with confusion. Her voice was soft and concerned when she asked him quietly, "What's wrong?"

Not sure what to say, or how to phrase things with the crazy rush of emotions flooding through him, he finally asked her weakly, "Were we... Together?"

Murrue blinked, startled and rather nervous when she heard the question. A small rush of panic fluttered her heart, and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself before she could answer. Quietly she moved to his side and sat down beside him, arms crossed around her middle. She couldn't meet his eyes and answered softly, "Yes."

He didn't reply, but she could sense his confusion and hurt and knew his eyes were focussed on her face. The silence stretched between them and she finally explained in a weak murmur, "I... I was scared. So scared... When you came back, and I saw you, I thought I was dreaming. I watched the Strike explode in front of my eyes, heard you laugh when you knew death was going to finally catch up to you... I thought I lost you... You didn't remember a thing about me, about us... I didn't want to hurt you by being a burden to you. You were so confused as it was just by my reaction to seeing you again... I couldn't let you go but I couldn't let you close again so quickly, I didn't want to put you in such an awkward position when you had no idea who you even were."

Mu sat in silence, listening to her explain things quietly. 'Fear... Mostly out of fear... But not for herself, for me. She was scared about how things would be for me if she blurted the truth out... Because I _was_ confused about things, about her... I can understand why she'd lie then...' He muttered weakly when she was done, "Thank you."

"Thank me?" Murrue was once again completely startled by this, blinking several times in surprise. "Mu, the last thing you should be doing is thanking me, I lied to you." Her heart wrenched fiercely in her chest when she said it, and the thought brought a fresh wave of pain, guilt, and shame. "I don't deserve anybody's thanks."

"No, you do." Mu insisted, catching both her hands in his one, intense azure eyes capturing her pain-filled marigold. He reached out with his free hand to touch the stray tear that had started to make its way down her flushed cheek. "I'm happy you told me the truth... And I understand why you never said anything... It makes sense because you explained it, you could have lied, denied it, but you explained things to me. Besides..." He smiled weakly, brushing a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear, "It was nice falling in love with you all over again."

Murrue blushed brilliantly, and hastily dropped her gaze to her lap. If steam could fly out of her ears, she was pretty sure it was. She scolded softly, unable to really put any strength into it, "Idiot..."

"Well it's true." Mu told her pleasantly, wrapping his arm around her to pull her closer. She didn't move away, instead moving as close as she could to him, feeling his lips press gently against the crown of her hair. He felt a little twinge of regret in his chest and mused mentally, 'It's a pity I can't remember all of the times we had together on the ship... But at the same time, how many guys get to fall in love twice with the woman of their dreams? I'm sure the memories will come back... They've already been coming back...' His thoughts continued to wander as she sighed softly against his neck, sounding both relieved and content now. 'That still leaves me wondering about Bryan...'

As he sat there with her, he sighed softly, gently continuing to toy with her hair. 'I don't want to ruin the mood by pestering her... She'd told me enough for one night... And she looked so worried before, I can't push her anymore right now... There's plenty of time for questions later...'

* * *

"You don't look so good Erica... Are you okay?" Murrue asked worriedly, leaning over to catch a better view of her boss. The redhead was unusually pale today, and she'd stop every so often, looking as though she was having frequent dizzy spells. Hopping the stairs she took her friend by the arm and steadied her quickly, eyes flashing with worry when Erica stiffened and leaned on the wall. "Erica!"

"I'm fine." Erica muttered through grit teeth, hands tightened into fists as she took a deep breath to calm her uneasy stomach, but it wasn't working well. "Just a bit dizzy..."

"Alright, you're going home." Murrue said firmly, ignoring Erica's protests and dragged the redhead back to the parking lot. She stole the woman's keys with little effort, put her in the passenger's seat and started to drive.

"You don't need to drive me home." Erica grumbled fiercely, though the cold air rushing through the open windows seemed to be doing her some good. She took another deep calming breath and leaned into the fresh air.

"Yes I do, you looked like you were going to keel over." Murrue told her with a snap, glancing over to see how Erica was stubbornly looking out the window. "Why do you bother coming to work if you're sick?"

"You're one to talk." Erica shot back with a snap of her own, eyes narrowing fiercely.

"Ah, don't make this about me, it's about you."

The two women continued to argue until they finally made it into the city and to Erica's home, a spacious two story. Murrue hopped quickly out of the car, but she knew Erica was going to be fiercely stubborn about getting herself back home so she didn't push the issue but followed a step behind.

"Eri?"

"Oh shit, why is he home?" Erica muttered under her breath, not expecting to hear her husband's voice inside. Murrue snorted behind her, clearly amused by this development. "Dammit..."

Nathan opened the door, and Murrue had to grin when she saw him, the man resembled much of a bear, except he was just too sweet to ever live up to his look. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair, looking from the grinning Murrue to his pale wife who wasn't meeting his eyes. "Hello..."

"Hi Nathan." Murrue said pleasantly, and Erica promptly whacked her in the arm but she ignored it, wanting to enjoy herself as much as she could. "How are you?"

"Good..." Nathan answered slowly, dark eyes watching his wife who was now edging away to hide behind Murrue. "What's going on...?"

"Erica looked sick so I took her home. She argued the entire way." Murrue replied without missing a beat, and Erica growled under her breath, just loudly enough for the brunette to hear it. "I hope we're not bothering you."

"No, of course not." Nathan said finally, his gaze settled hard on Erica, who now blushed and looked away. "Come on in..." Erica rushed in and Murrue followed slowly, a small smile tweaking her lips. Nathan ran a hand through his messy hair, watching his redheaded wife closely and she continued to stare at her knees as she plopped herself down on the couch in the spacious living room.

Murrue stood, wondering why Nathan looked so disapproving, and Erica so sheepish. She knew for a fact the two had a very open and loving relationship, and also knew the two rarely ever fought. Finally she asked loudly, the silence stretching too far, "What big secret have I not been told yet?"

"You didn't tell her?" Nathan asked with a perfectly raised eyebrow, and Erica looked down again, turning the same shade of her hair now. "Erica, it's been nearly four months now, how well do you think you can hide it when it's eight?"

"I never said anything because I figured she had enough to deal with!" Erica shot back defensively, though she was still flushing. She uttered a low oath, and finally looked back up shyly at her friend and mumbled weakly, "Murrue, I'm... I'm pregnant."

Murrue took a moment to stare, letting the news digest before she replied weakly, "Four months along?" Erica nodded and finally she asked quietly, "Who else but me knows?"

"Rin knows, I couldn't hide it from her..." Erica replied softly, looking down at her knees, shame burning in her face. "And we knew of course... I never said anything to anyone at work because I know how much everybody loves the grapevine... I didn't want to worry you with it, you had too much to deal with when I found out..."

"Not like I approved." Nathan added with a dark look on his face, and Murrue shot him a glance before returning her eyes back to her friend. "We're thrilled, but still..."

"No, no, I understand." Murrue said slowly, still digesting the fact that her friend was going to have a child. She knew Erica had been eager to try, and she knew both of them had wanted it... Finally she smiled and sat down beside her friend, winding her arm around Erica's shoulders. "I'm happy for you. I know you've been trying to have another one... I bet Ryuta will be thrilled to have a little sister."

"How did you know it was a girl?" Erica asked in confusion, not expecting that to be the first thing Murrue said.

"I guessed." Murrue replied sweetly, giggling when Erica blushed again and shyly turned her gaze to the couch. "You always wanted a little girl, right? Sounds perfect for you."

"You're making me blush." Erica grumbled half-heartedly, glancing down at her lap again. Nathan grinned at her and she blushed a fair bit more, really wishing she could just disappear. "Yeesh..."

"Don't bother coming to work tomorrow, you need the rest." Murrue informed her pleasantly, and Nathan started to chuckle while Erica looked thoroughly shocked. "I can handle the divisions for a day... And when Rin comes back, which is due in a week or two, she and I can handle things at Morgenroete while you're off on maternity leave."

"Wait, hold it, nobody said I was leaving that early!" Erica exploded, only earning a wide smirk from Murrue and more laughter from her husband. "And leave Morgenroete in the hands of you and a blond who has trouble devoting herself to a full day at work? No way."

"Rin I can understand you having issues with for a leadership role, but excuse me?" Murrue frowned, a challenging glitter lighting up her marigold eyes. Inwardly she was really enjoying herself, and she was pretty sure her friend's husband could see that because he couldn't stop laughing. "I captained a ship, do you really think it'll be hard for me to watch over a bunch of mechanics for a little while?"

"Mat-leave is more then a little while." Erica pointed out with a smirk, and Murrue frowned while she thought about that. Erica grinned, suddenly triumphant. "You can't take care of the entire factory for a year. You'd go insane."

"She'd have help." Nathan put in with a sudden grin, and Murrue beamed at him while Erica scowled again. "You said it yourself didn't you Murrue? Rin can help out." Erica scowled deeply and crossed her arms, and Nathan breezily added, "Rin might be a bit... For a gentler word, eccentric, but you've told me before she has a serious work-ethic, she can handle a bunch of mechanics for awhile while you're gone. And Murrue had a great point, she was a captain, leadership isn't anything new to her. Between them Morgenroete would be perfectly stable, and if they still need help I can drop by after teaching."

"Three of us Erica." Murrue informed her cheerfully, a triumphant smirk now spread across her face. "Even you can't argue against that."

"I could but... It's going to happen whether or not I want it to." Erica sighed, now looking defeated and resigned. "I'm going to have my baby, I'll have to be on maternity leave... There's no escaping the facts. But dammit, if Morgenroete gets fucked up because of you three, I'm keeping my right to kick your asses. I worked way too hard to keep it above the ground, and I'm laying the rules."

"Every decision goes through you, we know." Murrue said tiredly, knowing Erica wasn't going to make it easy for them, she was a very by-the-book officer when it came to her company. '_Her_ company... Heh, Cagalli might be the representative, but Morgenroete is _definitely_ Erica's property.' "We'll bug you when we need the counsel, and every single thing goes through you."

"Good." Erica finally looked somewhat appeased, but there was still a little downcast edge to her smile. 'Oi... I hate being so far out of control... It almost makes me regret getting pregnant again...' A little smile quirked her lips and she added mentally, '_Almost_.'

"Did you ever get a call from Alaska about the troops you sent?" Murrue asked casually, trying to keep the hint of worry out of her voice. Though she and Rin were constantly exchanging emails, she couldn't help but feel like the blond was keeping something from her. "The news has been quiet..."

"The military is pretty hellbent on keeping everything hush..." Erica remarked with a little frown, glancing over at her husband who nodded knowingly. "It's no secret though that it's like the calm before a storm... The terrorists are getting very violent."

"The terrorists are from ZAFT, that much has been confirmed." Nathan remarked, voice suddenly harsh and rough. Erica shot him a worried look and he sighed before grumbling, "I was a ZAFT soldier at one point in my life, before I came back to ORB and met Erica. Here... It was a long time ago, but the fact remains, I don't have happy thoughts about the homeland."

"Anyway, we've got intel, and we're very confident that the terrorists are Zala loyalists." Erica informed the startled brunette, and she smiled ruefully. "I can assure you Cagalli was quite surprised as well... The troops we sent are skilled, the best of the best. I'd have asked for Mu..." Murrue immediately shot her a dangerous look and Erica's expression grew quite the bit wry. "And that's why I never asked. Rin was hard enough to secure, even though she was on the reserves from the beginning..."

"Are you telling me that this might lead to an act of war against the PLANTs?" Murrue finally asked, finding that she had quite a lot of trouble forcing the word out. She was surprised to feel the stir of terror the word still caused in the pit of her stomach.

"No, I doubt it... Not with how much influence Terminal has in PLANTs." Erica informed her as firmly as she could, she herself had worried about this for quite a long time. "PLANTs, the Alliance, and the neutral nations are still shakily, but loyally signed to the Treaty of Junius. Nobody would risk open war again, not after everything that's happened, after how many died..."

"And yet we still are in need of soldiers." Murrue mused weakly, hands curling into fists on her lap, eyes downcast as she imagined Rin out on the battlefield. "They'll be back soon though, right?"

"Nathan?" Erica looked over her shoulder at her husband, looking slightly pained to have to ask, "I hate to ask you this, but you know how the supremacists think..."

"More then likely the silence means they've been waiting for an opening to attack the Alliance directly. That they're planning something... Something huge." Nathan remarked with a little shrug, though his eyes were granite now. "They'll risk everything they've got on one huge kamikaze attack that promises or at least aims towards mass casualties. It's how they work."

Murrue shivered unconsciously, and Erica grimaced at the idea. But they both knew he was right and they kept their silence for a few long tense moments. Finally Murrue said firmly, forcing herself to believe it, "She's coming home. She's coming home after all of this bullshit is over, and she'll be just fine."

**AN**

**Eheh, quite the serious chapter... Didn't exactly go the way I wanted it to go either, (sweatdrop) It kinda just got this way over the days. And no, in case anybody's thinking this, I'm not shooting for the moon and calling out the big guns for war again, I'd be writing this thing forever if I did that. Alaska's the only mention of battle for the entire story, that's it, promise. **

**Sky**


	20. Chapter 19

Mu sighed quietly, pocketing his hands as he took a casual walk through Morgenroete, mind occupied with thoughts. It had been growing increasingly difficult for him to keep his mind on one thing, the growing worry he had for his younger sister pretty much controlled his mind.

He hadn't realized he'd paused until he looked to his right, where Rin's old custom coloured Windam was standing. He smiled wryly, reaching out to touch its metal leg fondly. 'Damn sis... I really do miss you.' He sighed again, knocking the metal before looking up into the eyes of the suit.

'I wonder how you're doing out there... You're probably loving it, all the action... You always did say it was just too boring around here, now didn't you?' Mu smiled weakly, wondering if she was having her fill of action now that she was smack-dab in the middle of the battlefield. 'Missed the thrill of a good fight, didn't you? That's why you kept piloting... You just love the unpredictability of our lives... To be honest, I still kinda miss it... But... Murrue means more to me then that.'

He sighed, pocketed his hands and started to walk back to his station. Out of nowhere a grey blur dashed out in front of him and he stopped abruptly, eyes widening in alarm. "What the–"

"Mreow?" The blur stopped as abruptly as he did, revealing just what the heck it was. A small, incredibly thin grey kitten stood there, the fur raising along its back at it stared at him with its wide green eyes.

Mu realized it wasn't completely grey, it had a slight almost invisible white undertone to its coarse coat, and Mu was startled to see there were a few oil stains blackening its fur. It had a thin white stripe across the bridge of its nose, and the kitten stared up challengingly at him, sizing him up. 'What the hell is a kitten doing here?'

As soon as he finished the thought, it took off again, and before Mu knew it he was giving chase. Giving into rational thought he slowed down when he saw the kitten bolt behind his Murasame. Walking now, he peeked around the corner, seeing the kitten cornered now, and it whirled around when it heard his footsteps. It hissed at him, arching its back at staring with wild eyes at him.

'It's scared.' Mu thought with a bolt of sympathy, watching the kitten watching him with wide terrified eyes. 'Damn, I scared it...' He knelt down, slowly extending his hand towards the kitten for it to sniff. "Hey there..." He spoke slowly, in a low tone, "Sorry for scaring you..."

It seemed to be plucking up its courage, and finally it took a hesitant step forward and sniffed at Mu's hand. It seemed pleased by this, meowed loudly and stepped closer, nuzzling his hand. Mu chuckled softly, kneeling closer and he gently ran his hand down the kitten's tiny body. 'It's so small... Like it hasn't eaten in ages...'

He waited until the kitten began purring, rubbing itself against his knee before he carefully picked it up. It mewed a little in protest, but calmed down quickly when he stopped movement. The kitten turned round, staring at him with wide eyes, then it promptly snuggled into his jacket.

'Now what do I do with it?' Mu asked himself with a groan, looking down at the kitten with a confusion. Finally he resigned himself to his fate, and walked to his car to take it home.

* * *

"Is that what I think it is?" Murrue asked with wide eyes, spotting the grey bundle inside of her lover's jacket. It poked its furry head out, triangle shaped ears angling towards her in curiosity.

"Yes?" Mu replied with a weak smile, noticing her halved awed and shocked expression. He let the kitten out, and it hopped down onto the armrest of the couch, looking around in surprise at its new surroundings. "I found it at work..." He finally confessed, watching Murrue watching the kitten.

"And you brought it here?" Murrue asked, forcing herself to keep standing as the kitten hopped down from the armrest and across the couch. "Mu, do you _ever_ think?"

"It looked starving, what was I supposed to do?" Mu almost whined, the question making him feel just slightly insulted. The kitten mewed at the sound of his voice, hopping up to the armrest again and it began to paw at his jacket.

"Drop it off at an animal shelter." Murrue pointed out with a frown, crossing her arms as she examined the kitten from afar. It seemed to have a huge attachment to Mu already, it was meowing and pawing at his jacket for attention and much to her surprise he smiled and gently pat it. She grumbled finally, "If it's starving you might as well try to find something for it to eat."

Mu ran off to do as she ordered, and with a heavy sigh Murrue collapsed on the couch, wondering what to do. She felt something gently pressing on her leg and looked down, seeing the kitten had hopped down from its perch to gently paw at her leg.

"Mew?" The kitten meowed, staring up at her with its ever widening green eyes. She couldn't resist and gently reached down to touch its coarse fur. It meowed louder at this, and immediately began to rub its face against her pantleg.

'Oh I'm going to be keeping it now, aren't I?' Murrue groaned at herself, knowing she really was softhearted. It meowed happily at her attention, hopping right into her lap to earn another round of gentle pets. She smiled a little, letting it sniff her fingertips with interest. 'Oh well... It's cute enough...'

She spoke aloud to the kitten, checking it over with careful and gentle intentions, "We'll need to check you over now won't we? And give you a name if you'll be staying with us..."

"How is it?" Mu asked, peeking in with a few pieces of leftover chicken and a little saucer of milk for the kitten. He wasn't very surprised to see it was curled into a ball in Murrue's lap, and she was rhythmically stroking its fur.

"He's just fine... In sore need a of a cleaning and a few decent meals, but he looks like he's a trooper." Murrue replied, stroking his fur gently, hearing his surprisingly loud purr.

Mu set the small meal down, and the little kitten jumped down and quickly made short work of the chicken before lapping up the milk cheerfully. He stared up at Mu with wide eyes, asking silently for more. Murrue laughed softly at this, scooping him up and scolding gently, "You can eat more after we clean you up. You're a mess."

"Well someone likes you." Mu laughed, leaning over to pet the kitten and give Murrue a gentle peck on the cheek. "You clean him up, I'll get him something to eat then." He went back into the kitchen to get a few more pieces of chicken and refilled the saucer.

By the time he got back Murrue came downstairs holding a fluffy ball of fur that he really couldn't believe was the tiny kitten he'd found. He hopped down and began to eat almost immediately again, meowing loudly in thanks.

"He looks better now that the oil's out of his fur..." Mu remarked softly, looking the kitten over. He noticed that in his grey fur, there were a few black lines of darker fur crisscrossing down his long legs and tail, along with the vague white-hued undercoat. As thin as it was, Mu had little doubt that he'd grow very quickly. "He must be very young..."

"He's small enough." Murrue agreed with a nod, sitting down to watch the little one easily finish its meal. He finally seemed satisfied and hopped back onto the couch, curling into a ball in her lap again.

"You want to keep him now, don't you?" Mu teased, and she blushed but her little smile told him she was right. "You're such a softie... He probably just melted your heart."

"He did..." Murrue admitted weakly, combing gently through his now soft fur, hearing and feeling his loud and content purr. "And he's a lot like you, he's got a stripe across his nose just like you do." Murrue pointed out cheerfully, poking Mu in the nose and touching the stripe across the kittens fondly.

"Guess so." Mu laughed, not having really paid much attention to that fact. "We'll need to make sure he gets all of his shots, and then get him fixed before he becomes a problem..."

"True... And teach Bryan not to pull his tail, that'll definitely cause some trouble..." Murrue mused, watching the kitten watching them with wide eyes, his small tail occasionally flicking, triangle ears moving constantly. "And he'll need to get used to being inside before we let him out at all... Can't have him running off..."

"We should name him." Mu remarked, watching the now sleeping kitten closely. He was curled up into a tight ball, tail covering his nose and purring softly. "Hmm?"

"Yeah, we should... What do you think?" Murrue pursed her lips, watching the kitten as she struggled to find a name for him. "Smoky seems too common... And he certainly doesn't look common to me."

"No, he doesn't." Mu agreed with a laugh, now also examining the kitten. He gently touched the soft spot between the kitten's ears, rubbing gently to earn a loud purr of contentment. "Hmm... I found him around Rin's Windam, and he was certainly a big surprise..." He looked thoughtful, and then said triumphantly, "Neo."

"Neo?" Murrue pursed her lips and glanced down at the kitten, touching his fur tenderly as she thought about that. She sounded out the name again, testing it. "Neo... It fits him for some reason. Neo."

The kitten looked up at them inquisitively, as if he sensed that he'd just been christened with a name. He meowed and it turned into a long yawn, and he settled down into his new owner's lap with a sleepy mew.

"Let's hope Bryan likes you." Murrue told Neo with a soft laugh, watching him sleep happily in her lap.

It seemed that it wasn't really a worry at all, Bryan was completely thrilled to find a new playmate. After the kitten had been checked and fed properly he immediately became quite the scamp, spending his time chasing Bryan around or being chased. The two got along incredibly well, and normally always found a way to get into mischief.

Neo normally was always found sleeping beside Bryan by the time night fell, the two seeming to just be the picture of cuteness around the home. He had filled out magnificently and in two and a half short weeks he was now a healthy and very playful kitten.

Murrue laughed when she spotted Neo racing down the hall to greet Bryan at the door, he had really gotten very attached to the little boy. Bryan laughed in delight, kneeling down to pet the kitten who meowed and purred in earnest. The two quickly raced off to get up to who knew what, and Murrue waited patiently for her own boy to come to greet her.

She wasn't the least bit disappointed, feeling his hands on her shoulders and a swift kiss to her cheek a few moments later. "Hiya stranger..."

"Hey." Mu chuckled, sitting down beside her and drawing her into a warm hug. She laughed softly and returned the embrace, snuggling happily into his arms as he held her close. "How was your day?"

"Long. But mostly uneventful." Murrue replied with an idle shrug, sighing contentedly when she felt his lips brush against her cheek again. "I'm just glad to be home..."

"Me too." Mu told her happily, and she grinned brightly at him before rewarding him with a warm kiss that he was glad to return. Deciding he'd waited long enough all day for one, he trapped her against him as he intensified the embrace. She giggled girlishly when he broke and he chuckled back, leaning her down on the couch as he followed the kiss with some pleasurable advances to her neck.

"Oh..." Murrue sighed softly, closing her eyes as his mouth moved over her neck to her collarbone, easing her gently out of her jacket. She didn't have the want to push him away, relaxing into his embrace as he continued.

"On the couch again?" Mu asked her huskily, grinning at the thought as he tossed her jacket onto the floor.

"Not with Bryan in the next room." Murrue groaned softly, moving impulsively as his mouth found his next target, hands settling on her hips to hold her still. "Can't you wait until he's asleep?"

"Nah..." Mu grinned against her sensitive skin, knowing she meant what she said about Bryan walking in and seeing them like this. Unable to help himself, he asked sweetly, "Why, is this bothering you?"

"You really are a bastard."

* * *

The loud and shrill sound of the phone woke her with a start, and she blinked sleepily before turning to glance at the clock. The red numbers glowed luminously in the dark, and she groaned softly before burying her face back in the pillow. "3:36 a.m. who calls that early?"

She had no intention of dragging herself out of bed, and immediately buried herself back into her lover's arms, ready to fall back into a deep sleep. Mercifully the phone stopped ringing, and she was halfway there when it shattered the heavy silence for the second time.

Grumbling the entire time, Murrue carefully unwound Mu's arms from her, slipping as quickly and silent as she could from bed. She was glad she'd actually worn something to bed, a little mischievous smirk glancing her lips when she realized it'd been almost a few weeks since she'd done that. Pulling her nightgown down a bit, she hurried across the room to snatch the cordless phone, and sat on the edge of the bed. By the time she'd done this however, it'd stopped ringing a second time.

"What in the world...?"

"What's going on?"

Murrue jumped at the sound of Mu's voice in her ear, and then she felt his arms wrap snugly around her waist, tugging her back into his lap. She peeked over her shoulder at him, smiling apologetically. "Sorry... It keeps going off, I have no idea who's calling."

"Hang it up and go back to bed then." Mu grumbled sleepily, tugging her back farther and she laughed softly at this. Just as she made to lay back with him the phone went off again. Grumbling again he pressed his lips to her shoulders and growled, "Answer the damn thing and hang up on them."

"It might be important." Murrue admonished him gently, ruffling his hair in a scolding fashion. Before it went to the second ring she hit the 'talk' button and held the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

"_Murrue?"_ Much to Murrue's surprise Erica's voice asked hurriedly for her, sounding anxious.

"Well who else lives here?" Murrue remarked with raised eyebrows, not understanding why Erica would call her at this time of the night, it wasn't like her boss at all. "What is it?"

"_Rin's back."_

Murrue grinned broadly, immediately delighted by the news. Her smile faded whoever, realizing despite the news, Erica's tone seemed incredibly grim. Ignoring Mu's soft touch on her shoulders, she got to her feet, dread suddenly pounding through her. Forcing herself to swallow the knot of anxiety that was growing in her throat, she asked hoarsely, "Erica... What's wrong?"

There was a long silence, and finally Erica whispered back softly, _"She's been injured Murrue. And I don't know how bad."_

**AN**

**Dammit I did it anyway, lol. I didn't plan on throwing the cliffhanger in for a few more chapters actually, but I just wanted to get it over with. (Ducks into bomb shelter out of habit) Lol, faithful old thing got me through the chaos of GSE, I'm using it to my advantage. XD And yes, the Neo-kitty was mostly for the laughs (I'm an authoress of fanfiction, I'm going to assume I can do whatever the hell I want because it's a story XD) Though I don't like going above the norm, I just thought it'd be a good laugh, heheh.**

**Sky**


	21. Chapter 20

"_She's been injured Murrue. And I don't know how bad."_

The words rang in the brunette's head as she sat impatiently in the hospital, fingers drumming on her knee as Mu set up pacing in the lobby. After a hasty explanation to Kira and Lacus, they'd left Bryan there and rushed off as soon as Erica finished explaining what she had been told.

"_There was a battle... Nathan was right, the terrorists threw everything they had into one last stand to get into the city... The troops were there already, but it caught them by surprise by the sheer numbers... Half of the force were either killed or injured, Rin was one of them... They sent all of the ORB soldiers back in an emergency carrier. She's at the hospital now, I'm going there as soon as I can."_

She'd beaten them to the hospital, sitting on one of the hard plastic chairs in complete silence. The attending nurses hadn't come around yet, though a doctor had told them to just wait and they'd be called. Though it wasn't easing anyone's worry, nobody could sit still.

Murrue switched chairs to move closer to Erica, noticing the redhead was staring at her knees with a deadened expression, hugging herself. "Erica...?" The woman didn't answer, didn't even acknowledge that she'd heard the other. Murrue tried again, forcing some strength into her words, "Erica it wasn't your fault, she wanted to fight, or else she wouldn't have signed onto the reserves."

"She argued against going." Erica murmured numbly, closing her eyes against the fresh wave of shame that her words caused her. "And I just told her she had to go."

"She wouldn't want you to blame yourself for what happened to her." Murrue told her fiercely, knowing that the blond always hated it when people worried about her. She placed her hands on Erica's shoulders, eyes glittering dangerously, "Erica listen to me dammit, it wasn't your fault for whatever happened to her. She wouldn't want you to act like this, _and_ all this stress isn't good for your little girl. Snap the hell out of it."

"Are you three waiting for Miss La Flaga?" A shy looking nurse asked sheepishly, peeking around the corner, hazel eyes nervous. She absently brushed a lock of her dark brown hair over her shoulder, swallowing weakly, she'd heard the entire thing.

"Um yes..." Murrue said weakly, noticing Erica looked a bit more stable now that she heard some common sense. She looked back at the nurse, who seemed slightly relieved. "Are you her nurse?"

"Partially... The doctor was in her room supplying her fluids a few moments ago..." The young women replied readily, eyes flashing from Murrue to Erica, before resting on Mu. She blushed immediately when he returned her glance, and looked at the floor, mumbling, "Family is allowed to go and see her now, I'm afraid to say she's still unconscious before of the sedation."

Murrue looked at Erica nervously, wondering what to say. "Erica, do you..."

"I'm not family, just a friend. You two go ahead, I can wait my turn."

Mu noticed the worried look Murrue shared with the redhead, but knew Erica was more composed now, she spoke strongly and firmly. He looked back at the nurse and asked kindly, "Would you mind showing us to her room then?"

"Uh, s-sure." The young woman burned crimson and nodded hurriedly, waiting until Murrue looked her way before hastily taking off down the hall at a surprisingly quick pace. She showed them a door at the end of the hall, and stepped inside before them.

Murrue swallowed quickly, nervous to look in. She felt Mu's hand envelop hers, and she took a deep breath before they both stepped inside the small little room. Murrue gasped softly when she saw the blond woman in the bed, unable to believe it was really her friend despite the fact that it was so painfully obvious.

The woman's entire torso was wrapped tightly in bandaging, along with her right forearm and hand which was also held in a splint. Living bruises dotted her arms and legs, and Murrue winced when she saw the gash on Rin's right cheek. The nurse quickly checked the woman's IV bag, making a small mark on her clipboard before hastily moving to the back to give the couple some space. Her hazel eyes never left the blond haired man though.

Mu swallowed nervously, unsure of what to say. He noticed with a start the pendant he'd given her was still around her neck, and despite the wounds she had, she looked surprisingly peaceful. "What the hell happened to her...?"

"Broken wrist, plenty of superficial cuts and abrasions along the arms, legs and torso, and more bruises than I can count." A light feathery voice spoke out behind them, and the couple turned to see a reddish-brown haired woman standing there, smiling slightly at them. "It really only looks worse than it seems."

"And you are...?" Murrue asked hesitantly, not sure what to say to that sort of explanation, it was hard to believe that it looked worse than it was. "Her doctor?"

"Matron. The nurse in charge of this ward." The woman replied cheerfully, looking pleasantly from Murrue to Mu, eyes resting on him for a long moment before she looked at the nervous brunette behind them. She raised her eyebrows, looking skeptically at the blushing young woman. The girl blushed crimson and squeaked nervously before turning tail and bolting out of the room. She turned her gaze back to the couple and told them kindly, "If you have any questions, I'll answer them for you."

"Can she feel any pain?" Murrue asked worriedly, though knowing the sedation would keep it under control, but only until she woke up. "Are there any painkillers she can take that won't interfere with her medication she'd taking already?"

The woman picked up a chart that was lying on the little metal table beside Rin's bed, examining it closely. Occasionally she'd peek up and look at Mu, though just as quickly would look away before he noticed. She finally said cheerfully, "The meds she's taking right now won't be anything to worry about, we can mix them with painkillers for her wrist... Her bandages will need to be changed, but I don't believe that will be a problem either."

"Oh thank god." Murrue sighed in relief, sinking down weakly into the chair beside Rin's small cot.

"She'll be alright miss, she's just sleeping now." The matron said gently, smiling kindly at the tired brunette. She glanced over at Mu again and a slight shade of pink coloured her face. "Er, well..." She coughed sheepishly, and said weakly, "Well, um, I'll just leave you two alone with her, now shall I?" And she quickly raced off.

"The staff is more interested in you than their jobs." Murrue muttered under her breath, feeling a bit annoyed by the attention he'd gotten from the nurses. She grumbled half-seriously, "You're not allowed to walk around in public anymore."

Mu chuckled out loud at this, amused by her sour attitude towards the nurses. To be honest, he'd only really noticed because they were so flustered, otherwise he wouldn't have paid them any mind. "Oh don't pout like that, you know I don't care." He grinned and plopped down in the seat beside her, winding his arm around her shoulders, "Besides, I only have eyes for you."

Murrue blushed at the comment, but her annoyance vanished as well. 'I wasn't really jealous, he knew that, just annoyed... He's just too handsome.' Sighing contentedly she leaned on Mu's shoulder and murmured softly, "I'm glad she's okay... I was scared silly."

"You still look like you are." Mu pointed out with a little smile, ruffling her hair gently. "You heard the nurse, she's going to be alright."

They made good use of their time, watching and making sure Rin would be alright when she woke up, though both felt it, they wouldn't admit they were still worried. Murrue hurried out at one point to give Erica the good news, and the redhead looked incredibly relieved when she heard.

They spent a good portion of another hour conversing quietly about what they would do with her condition now, Erica was adamant about making sure the young blond would get all the time she needed off. Murrue commented wryly about how Rin would hate her, which Erica could only laugh at.

"Go on." Erica said gently, patting Murrue on the knee. "It's okay with me, you look like you're going to collapse from stress if you don't get back in there and watch her. I can listen to her bitch and moan later, there will be plenty of that."

"Are you sure? You haven't seen her yet though..." Murrue argued quietly, knowing Erica was just as impatient as she could be sometimes. "And it is your turn..."

"No, I'm alright, I can wait a bit longer." Erica told her with a soft laugh, ruffling Murrue's hair affectionately. "Go on, Rin would like to see you and her big brother when she wakes up. It's fine, really."

Murrue finally got back to her feet, fetching a two sodas for herself and Mu, walking slowly back to Rin's private room. Mu was staring intently at Rin, looking solemn and silent. She gently handed him the can, and sat back beside him. She murmured softly after a few long minutes of silence, "You feel responsible for her, don't you?"

"She's my little sister... Of course I feel responsible for her." Mu remarked weakly, touching her left hand which mercifully was uninjured. "I hate seeing her so still... It doesn't fit her at all."

"No, it doesn't..." Murrue agreed softly, turning her gaze to the immobile blond. "She's much more suited to running around and raising hell... Just wait though," she smiled weakly, attempting to lift everyone's spirits, including her own, "when she's awake and bitching and complaining we'll be wishing she was out again."

"Um, excuse me... Is this where Rin La Flaga is?" A shy voice asked hesitantly, and the two looked around to see a dark haired woman peeking inside. Her arm was in a sling and there were a few small scrapes on her face, but for the most part she looked none the worse for wear.

"Yes, can I ask who you are?" Murrue inquired with interest, watching the woman glance over to where Rin was, then to Mu and back to her.

"I'm a pilot, I fought with her in Alaska..." The woman replied with a weak smile, stepping inside, gaze fixed on the bed. She tucked a lock of her blond/brown hair behind her ear and added weakly, "We were in the same squadron... She kept things light, you know? Made it easier for the lot of us, we missed home... Is she okay?"

"She's going to be alright." Mu answered with a relieved smile, watching the woman smile back before looking rather shy.

"Are you her brother?" The pilot asked sheepishly, and Mu nodded an affirmation, earning another little shy smile. "She talked about you a lot..." She mused, eyes flickering constantly from his face to Rin's. "Said that it was where she got her skill from... She really cares about you."

"I know, I care about her a lot too." Mu remarked with a growing smile, glancing over at his sleeping sister. He pat her hand gently and then turned back to the woman. "Thanks for coming to see how she's doing."

"I hope she gets better." The woman replied with another little smile, before turning around to see the matron standing there with a scolding look on her face. She blushed sheepishly and said weakly, "I know, I know, back to bed."

"It'd be better for the entire staff if you lot would stop wandering around." The woman replied in that same scolding tone, shooing the woman back down the hall. "You pilots are all real stubborn idiots."

"That's true." Murrue remarked under her breath, trying hard to disguise a smile. The two women hurried off, and she resumed watch of her friend.

* * *

"My god..." Rin grumbled under her breath, opening her eyes to a bright blinding light above her. Squinting against the light she muttered venomously, "If I'm dead why does it hurt so fucking much? Did I really commit that many sins in my life?"

Closing her eyes tightly against a fresh wave of pain form her arm, she hissed several curses before opening her eyes again to look around. Forcing herself into an awkward sitting position she realized she was inside a hospital, and the slight tug when she tried to move her right hand made her look down. 'An IV...?' She hesitantly touched the bandaging on her chest, and felt the numerous cuts underneath with a grimace. 'Ah, that explains a lot...'

She looked around again, taking in her surroundings before she started when she saw two people sitting in the chairs across from her cot. She nearly smiled, and murmured weakly to herself, "And how long have you two been here?"

She didn't get an answer, but she didn't expect one either, both of them were fast asleep. Murrue was leaning on Mu, head nestled by his shoulder, he was leaning back on the chair, snoring quietly. "Feh... You two worried yourselves out about me, didn't you?"

Once again, no answer.

And she smiled. 'Well... As long as I'm here...' She closed her eyes, laying back in the bed. 'I might as well get some sleep out of this before the explanations are needed...' It didn't really work, as soon as she closed her eyes she was in the cockpit in Alaska, watching the explosions with dazed eyes.

Stifling another hiss of anger, she sat back up, glancing around to familiarize herself with her new surroundings. "So I'm in ORB... How long ago was the battle...? Better question, how long was I out for?"

"Roughly a day or two."

"Eh?" Rin turned as quickly as her body would allow, surprised to see her boss standing by the wall, wearing a little tired smile. "Erica... What are you doing here?"

"I came when I heard you were home... And injured." Erica replied after a few moments, keeping her voice low so to not disturb the sleeping couple. "We've all been here since."

Rin was silent, surprise keeping her stiff. She looked back unconsciously at the two sleeping others in the chairs, and had to quickly blink back tears of gratitude that were starting to build in her throat. She looked back and murmured gruffly, "You didn't need to waste your time watching me sleep."

"We care about you." Erica remarked with a smile, crossing the room to her friend's side, gently tousling her hair in an amazingly affectionate gesture. "All of us do. That's why we're here." She smiled a little and nodded in Mu's direction, "And your pretty-boy big brother hasn't left since you've been admitted."

Rin swallowed the knot that was still growing in her throat despite her best efforts, leaving her speechless. Her mind raced crazily though, leaving a fierce blush to scorch her face. 'What did I do to deserve them?' She looked down at her lap, then at her injured arm. She still couldn't find words. Finally her heart kicked her mind out of the way and forced her to whisper, "Thank you."

Erica smiled gently, tugging the girl into a careful hug, mindful of the young blond's injuries. "Don't thank us, we do cause we love you. As much of a hell-raiser as you are. We still love you and want to make sure you're alright. So you're going to have Murrue breathing down your neck for awhile, and Mu probably won't let you out of his sight for the next six months."

"Don't remind me." Rin grumbled fiercely under her breath, though her eyes sparkled with affectionate amusement. 'Though I'd never say it aloud... I really wouldn't want it any other way.'

**AN**

**And that's it for me, lmao, I couldn't go anywhere else with it really, it just kinda stopped short there. And yes, yes moar lulz (tho I'm not sure if it'd be an inside joke, lol) Lol, I'll leave it to you to make the decision if it's an inside joke, ladies tell me what you think, I wanna know if I got it right, lol. And yeah, another Rin centric (grumbles under breath) it won't happen again dammit.**

**Sky**


	22. Chapter 21

"Mind the arm sweetie." Rin reminded her nephew softly, brushing her lips gently against the crown of his hair. He was snuggled into her lap, staring up at her with interest and she grinned back at him. He then looked back at the picture book he'd brought alone, insisting happily that he'd read to her to make her stay at the hospital more enjoyable.

"Be careful Bryan. Rin isn't all better yet." Murrue reminded the boy, though Rin only grinned at her to tell her not to worry. She smiled a bit, knowing that in the past week she'd been confined to the hospital. She'd discarded most of the bandages on her torso, assuring the others she was getting better. She asked the blond quietly, "When are you getting out?"

"Another week, maybe two, depends if my wrist heals properly... That and they think one of my many cuts are infected, yay." Rin rolled her eyes, voice dripping sarcasm. "If the antibiotics work, then I'll be fine in a few days."

"Good." Murrue grinned, casting a glance over her shoulder to see if Mu was back from getting something for the lot of them to eat. A little smile graced her lips as she turned to look back at her friend and she mused, "So the party..."

"I said no." Rin grumbled, though she knew Murrue was bent on doing it anyway, whether or not she was happy with it. "Jesus Murrue, can't you just make it a little gathering? Why a party?"

"Everybody wants to celebrate you're getting better and you being home." Murrue told her pleasantly, trying her best to not giggle in the face of Rin's scowl.

"Daddy!" Bryan squealed loudly, interrupting their little squabble effectively.

Rin blinked, taken aback by the sudden call, looking over to see her brother walking it with two trays of food balanced on top of each other. She blinked again, and mumbled weakly, "Uh... What?"

"Hey kid." Mu laughed, setting the trays down on the little iron table before easily scooping him up into his arm. He noticed Rin's complete bafflement, and then watched as the picture of shock melted into a warm and content smile. He grinned too, bouncing Bryan up to better fit him in his arm. "What'd I miss?"

"Murrue dragging me kicking and screaming to this party she's intent on throwing for me." Rin answered just as brightly as her brother, and she watched with some satisfaction as Mu chuckled and Murrue threw her a dirty look. She snickered quietly and then looked up at Bryan, asking sweetly, "What about you Bry? Wanna see me come over to your place sometime?"

"Can she?" Bryan asked just as sweetly, looking up at Mu with wide eyes. "Like that."

"So would I." Murrue added her own two cents quickly, and this time Rin shot her a dirty look. She grinned broadly, seeing Mu laughing but trying hard to hide his obvious amusement. She giggled softly, turned to Rin and told her playfully, "Oh c'mon Rin, everybody would love it if you came. Besides, why let everyone down out of a good time? It'd be a big party. We don't even need to make it about you."

Rin scowled, but the expression didn't reach her eyes. Finally she sighed, looking defeated. "Fine... I'll go, but don't blow it out of proportion, or else I'll seriously do some damage on you." She warned quickly, making sure to watch her language around Bryan, which was quite a bit harder than it seemed. "I mean it Murrue."

"I know you do."

"Gah."

The visiting hours drew to an end, and with much complaining and resentment, the family of three finally left the hospital, leaving Rin behind in her cot. Mu swung Bryan onto his shoulders, carrying him out of the hospital with a chuckle while Murrue followed dutifully behind.

"Anywhere ya wanna go today Bryan?" Mu asked the boy, glancing up at him while he held on tight to his shoulders. Murrue laughed behind him, and her felt her slim arm wind as well as it could around his shoulders. "Huh?"

"Park?" Bryan asked hopefully, peeking down at Mu with those some wide begging eyes he used when he wanted something badly. "Can we?"

"Hmm, what do you think Murrue?" Mu asked her with a little grin, knowing she was never one to turn anything down when it came to her son. "Should we go to the park?"

"I don't know." Murrue looked thoughtful, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Bryan staring at her sadly. Unable to hold it in anymore, she giggled. She tousled her son's hair by standing on tiptoe, brushing a kiss to Mu's cheek and said cheerfully, "Alright, the park it is."

* * *

"Boy he loves those swings." Mu groaned, sitting down heavily beside Murrue, who hid her broad smile behind the novel she'd brought along. He'd spent the better part of an hour pushing the never tiring little boy in the swings, and now he was off like a rocket around the playground.

"He likes to fly." Murrue said with a grin, still hiding behind the pages of her book. "That's why he loves those things so much." She peeked at him over the edge and added, "Though I do _distinctly_ remember he got that trait from you, not me."

"I don't know, if I remember right you the one who flew the Strike first, not me." Mu grinned, wondering where the memory had come from but it didn't matter. He was remembering.

Murrue looked twice at him in surprise, then smiled. "Yes, I did..." She pulled a face, crinkling her nose and added distastefully, "Though I wouldn't really call it _flying_. Besides, Kira took over pretty quickly..." Her hand found her shoulder and she added weakly, "And then he saved my life after I was knocked out... He's a good kid."

"He is." Mu agreed with a smile, winding his arm around Murrue's shoulders and tugging her a little bit closer. She seemed content enough with that, snuggling into a better fit with a happy sigh. "He likes you... Everybody does really."

Murrue shrugged, not sure what to say to the last part. She gazed over to watch her son playing on the slide, and she quieted a little bit. 'If he remembers that we were together after the war, it isn't too difficult to put the pieces together and realize that he's Bryan's real father... If he knows that, he's not saying anything, he never asked me about it... Am I supposed to tell him straight out the gate now that he knows most of the truth?'

Mu noticed she'd gone quiet, glancing over at her to see the frown on her face, and flickering emotions in those warm marigold eyes he'd found himself falling in love with all over again. They were hard with thought, and would sparkle occasionally with pain, but the one emotion that seemed to be taking over was unease. Not liking this at all, he tightened his grip on her shoulders and asked quietly, "Are you okay Murrue?"

"Oh?" Murrue had been lost in thought and barely heard his voice and she glanced up at him in surprise. "Oh, yes, I'm okay... Just thinking..."

"About what?" Mu asked, looking over to study her expression as carefully as he could.

Murrue bit her lower lip, wondering if she should say anything at all. Her mind kept racing, and she didn't realize she had clenched her fists until she looked down. She took a deep breath and murmured softly, "About us." He blinked, and she could see the puzzled look on his face. She finally took another deep breath and whispered quietly, "I'm not going to lie to you, I can't... I'm just going to ask you straight out because I'm not sure I can say it myself. What do you think about Bryan?"

Mu was silent, a little taken aback by her quiet words to him. He watched her closely, noticing how she had looked back down at her lap again, hands clenching tightly once more. He answered honestly, knowing she was asking in earnest, "I love the tyke..." Her stiff posture didn't relax and he sighed weakly, muttering, "But that's not what you mean." He ran his hand through his ruffled hair and finally answered quietly, "I know what you're asking me, so I'll answer as best I can... Yeah, I have wondered, and I've worried too. But I really didn't have any proof to go on."

"You don't need proof." Murrue murmured softly, closing her eyes tightly against a rush of guilt that flamed in her stomach. Searching fruitlessly for words, she finally said softly, "I was an idiot to think I could hide it... I mean look at him, look at you... It's glaringly obvious, I was shocked you didn't see it right off the bat... But then again, you weren't really looking, were you?" He didn't need to answer, he could tell she had to say what she needed to say. Her voice rose softly with anger, and he knew immediately it was directed only at herself. "I was scared. Scared, scared, scared. I had no idea what to do or how to say it, all I knew was that you were here. _Here_, close enough for me to touch again. For two damn years he was all I had of you. I couldn't think straight, I didn't know what to do and before I knew it I'd lied through my teeth about who I was, who he was, everything just exploded into this huge damn lie. And I... I just was so scared for him, for me... For us..."

Mu stared at her in a mix of alarm and confusion, and then finally he sighed and hugged her closely, and heard her squeak in alarm. "It's okay..." He muttered softly into her hair, hugging her as closely as he possibly could. "You were worried about what would happen to your life because of me coming back... You were scared, and that isn't a bad thing, it's totally natural." He pulled away again, gently lifting her chin to look into her troubled eyes and added softly, "But you didn't have anything to be worried about. I'd have _never_, _never_, left you. Even if I didn't remember things fully... I wouldn't have left you."

"Mu." Murrue murmured softly, throwing her arms around him again, burying her face into his neck, shoulders shivering with grateful sobs. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, it's all alright." Mu reminded her with a roguish smile, nuzzling gently into her neck before giving her another gentle squeeze. "I love you..."

"I love you too." Murrue sighed softly, feeling the knot that was her stomach finally beginning to uncurl. She hugged him a bit closer, closing her eyes as she felt his arms wrap snugly around her.

* * *

"God it's great to be home." Mu collapsed onto their bed with a loud and contented sigh, staring up without interest at the ceiling. He heard his lover's soft laughter and looked up to see her removing her earrings and necklace, her hair still slightly damp from her shower she'd had earlier.

"It is good to be home after a long day out." Murrue agreed, placing her jewellery carefully into her little jewellery box that'd she'd received as a gift from one of her highschool friends. She turned around to see him looking her over and she felt the heat starting to burn in her face again. "What?"

"I still can't get over the fact that I wound up here and met an angel." Mu answered without missing a beat, and he watched with a certain satisfaction as she blushed again, glancing away. He grinned, looking her up and down with another kind of pride. 'Mine... All mine.' She was wearing that thin pink nightgown she seemed to favour, the soft and semi-transparent fabric doing just enough to hide her from his gaze. It was short enough to let him have a great view of her long legs, and the thin straps hung lazily on her shoulders.

"Stop staring." Murrue scolded awkwardly, blushing to her ears when she noticed how he'd slowly look her from top to bottom, and then bottom to top all over again. "Really, it's embarrassing!"

Mu chuckled and sat up, noticing how her gaze strayed from his face to his bare chest, then back up to his eyes again. He crooked his finger at her, indicating he wanted her to come closer. She hesitated for a moment, judging his expression carefully and then she slowly made her way to him, and he tugged her down so she was perched on his knee.

"This is fairly childish." Murrue muttered under her breath, earning a swift and not so gentle tickle in her side, and she squeaked loudly, trying to wriggle away but he held her fast. In the chaos as the tickling only grew worse she ended up lying breathless on the bed, staring up into his grinning face.

"It was what?" Mu asked mockingly, grinning broadly from ear to ear as he watched her struggle for breath, cheeks flushed a rosy pink, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Childish. Immature. Juvenile." Murrue gasped out, chest heaving as she struggled to get her breathing back. Finally her lungs adjusted and she stared up challengingly at him, "Take your pick."

"Childish? Immature? I'm stung." Mu told her with a broadening grin, knowing she couldn't escape even if she wanted to, he'd effectively made that option impossible. In the mess of laughter she'd ended up below him, while he'd trapped her between him and the bed. "That was really mean of you."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Murrue shot back, the welcome feeling of delight making her giddy, and it was hard to control her grin. "Punish me?"

"Hmm, that sounds fairly interesting." Mu answered after a long moment of thought, looking down at her challenging glare, but the glint in her eyes made him know she was enjoying the game. He continued to look thoughtful now, glancing around the room as if for inspiration. "How can I punish you that would let you know to be nicer to me?"

Murrue bit her lower lip in a vain attempt to stop her laughter, she could see he was seriously debating it. What made her laugh was the pondering look on his face, it only really seemed to make him more boyish than he already was.

"Hmm, well let's see..." Mu examined her from top to bottom again, and he smirked broadly, an idea coming to him like lightning. "I think I know." In a surprisingly quick motion he'd captured her hands, pulling them over her head. She looked at him in surprise and he grinned broadly before moving his hips in a light motion over hers.

"Oh!" Murrue gasped at the touch, eyes widening in alarm and she stiffened against him. He clasped her hands tightly to the pillow, and she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of his grip if he didn't want her to. He moved his hips in that same rocking motion and after a few long moments her gasp of surprise melted into a long sigh and her eyes closed.

"You like that, huh?" Mu asked roughly after a few moments, smirking when he watched her expression turn from surprise to sudden pleasure. Trying hard to not forget himself, he stopped moving and she immediately opened her eyes, wearing an expression of utter disappointment. She made a soft sound close to a whine and he chuckled, staring into her anguished eyes. "More?"

"Please." She meant it to come out pleading if anything, but what amazed her was how utterly pained it was, he'd left her aching.

"Hmm... Are you sorry?" Mu taunted, grinning broadly when he saw the lust flicker and dim in her eyes, replaced by a fierce determination that looked very familiar to him.

Growling under her breath at the new rules to the game, she set her jaw. "No."

"Pity, if you'd said yes we could just forget the damn rules." Mu told her sadly, shaking his head and looking fairly disappointed. But the devilish grin was back before she could reply stubbornly to him, and he plotted his next move. Deciding to go back to the beginning he started the sensual movement all over again, and watched her eyes close again, but she bit her lower lip, pushing herself as far back as the mattress would allow.

Not having any of this, Mu leaned forward until their noses touched and muttered huskily, "You can't get away from me Murrue. You'll learn." And with his message said and delivered, his mouth moved down her cheek to rest on her collarbone and began to kiss every inch of her neck that he could reach.

Murrue gasped sharply, eyes shooting wide in complete alarm as she felt his mouth move down her neck coupled with the feel on his body still moving against hers. It took everything she had to stop herself from giving in, and to keep herself still. The fire was lit again though, and her blood was pumping hard.

Deciding it was going to take much more than this to break her stubborn but iron will, Mu plotted his next attack as quickly as possible. 'If she won't apologize, she'll need to beg if she's really enjoying this...' Slowly, masterfully his kisses crept down to the neckline of her nightgown.

"Oh my god." Murrue gasped against his hair, fighting the impulse to give in and throw herself against him. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to move lower but much to her dismay his mouth only crept slightly close before moving away again. She didn't realize she was fighting for breath until she tried to speak, and it came out a groan, "Dammit you bastard."

"Ah ah, don't push it. You're already in trouble." Mu reminded her, looking up to meet her dazed eyes but there was still that challenging spark to them. Chuckling softly he added, "And I always get what I want Murrue."

"Dream on." Murrue told him fiercely, her words more gasped than groaned this time as he gently tugged on her nightgown's straps with his teeth.

He tugged it down somewhat, revealing the lace of her bra and he chuckled triumphantly. His kisses quickly moved lower, barely skimming the fabric but he felt her shudder and squirm ever so slightly underneath him when his mouth grew too close. He upped the ante entirely, now barely skimming his lips over his target.

"Mu!" Murrue cried out in frustration, closing her eyes tightly as her entire body tensed for the contact that never came. Every single bit of her was throbbing madly now, she could barely control herself when he continued doing this to her. "Stop it dammit!"

"Not till you apologize." Mu told her in a low growl, and he immediately ducked his head again to continue the torture that he knew was weakening her defences.

"Mu." Murrue sobbed his name, eyes closing and body shivering relentlessly as his mouth wandered to her neck again. She strained to twist to look at him, and he finally gave in to let her. "Mu please." She begged hoarsely, feeling the fire that had lit her blood starting to burn again. "I'm sorry."

The words worked, control snapped easily like a brittle twig and it was an instant when his hands released hers and his mouth crashed hard on hers. Her hands tunnelled in his hair, her entire body melting against his as the kiss led them steadily downwards.

He nearly ripped her blouse from her body, and even the split instant he'd left her was too long, she tugged him back down, desperately seeking another raging kiss. He hastily did away with his own clothing and she slid out of hers, and it only took short moments before their last shreds of sanity vanished and ecstasy swept them away.

"My god." Murrue moaned against his neck, panting hard as they finally began to come down from the heavens, bodies tangled in the sheets and each other. She sounded awed, tired but incredibly delighted. "Wow..."

"I won." Mu laughed hoarsely, turning to see her give a little breathless nod, and she immediately snuggled back into his arms. Their breathing finally settled, and he muttered into her hair, "You're a minx."

"You started it." Murrue replied with a scowl, propping herself on her elbow to poke him in the nose with her other hand.

"No, I finished it, _you_ started it." Mu corrected her, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her fingertip.

"Start this." Murrue remarked with a laugh, swiftly hopping on top of him, shoving him down against the bed.

Mu started in surprise, staring up at her in bewilderment, and she laughed triumphantly. "What are you doing?"

"Winning."

**AN**

**XD Blame some sugar (no idea how much), my naughty mind, sis' naughty ideas (thanks for the great help!), some fangirlish conversation and too much time and imagination for one person to have. It ended on a very good note, lol, though to be honest I had different plans for this chapter but oh well, it seems to have worked out fine anyway, hit me up with a review if you feel like it!**

**Sky**


	23. Chapter 22

**AN: Kay, now before anybody goes "Wtf?" bout this, lol, I had this weird little idea that I think I'm gonna follow through with... Now the party is going to happen, but just not in the regular way, lol. The chapter is kinda moving backward through the party, (mostly helped by those who remained sober lol) and it will move through flashbacks and jokes and basically fun, lol.**

"Ugn..." Murrue groaned softly, waking up to feel her head ringing angrily. She awkwardly pulled herself up, fingers rubbing her temples gingerly as she groaned softly again. "Dammit..."

"Shit..."

Murrue turned slowly to see Mu waking up as well, and he didn't look good in any shape or form either. She realized with a jolt that neither him or her were wearing any clothes. He looked slightly surprised but mostly pained as he sat up and she joked weakly, "Well at least it was us and not anyone else."

"What was _in_ that stuff you got?" Mu asked in a pathetic whine, hiding his face in his hands, the hangover easily kicking him while he was down. "Dammit, I don't think I've ever been this hungover..."

Murrue agreed silently, but forced herself to not say anything. She glanced over at her bedside table and noticed there were two little pills resting there with a bottle of water. 'What...?' She looked over at Mu, but noticed he was looking at the one on his side of the bed, and she was surprised to see the exact same scene on his side. "Who put those there?"

"Who cares?" Mu asked her in a grumble, popping the pills into his mouth and chasing them down with a large gulp of water. That done he threw himself back into the bed, tugged the covers over his head and fell back to sleep.

Murrue tried not to laugh, and repeated his performance as quickly as he did, though she didn't go back to bed. She slid slowly out of it instead, mindful of her suddenly queasy stomach. She slipped into one of his t-shirts, and tiptoed out of the room.

As soon as she entered the living room the bright light shining through the windows nearly blinded her, and she quickly turned around as the ringing began back in her head. 'Shit!'

Now turned around she noticed that there was a piece of paper on the counter of the kitchen. Hesitantly, and still avoiding the light, she walked over and picked it up, reading the first side of the note, 'Rin...?'

_Hey children,_

_Heh, you're probably so hungover it's probably not even funny right now. But still, I'm laughing. Whatever you had in that booze of yours, it certainly did a number on everybody, it's kinda funny... I'm thanking god Erica got it all on tape. Oh and by the way, the pills you found on your desk were from me, I was the only one with the guts to sneak into your room and put them there after you got very drunk. And I mean very drunk. But by the time I was there you were too far gone and fast asleep. Bryan's at Erica's, we decided it was better the kid didn't get to see you two hammered and hungover, heh. And I'd recommend you don't call the kid and the princess, they probably aren't better off than you._

_The party was actually pretty fun! I'll call you later in the day when you've had a chance to sleep off that hangover of yours. See you two soon!_

_Love ya both,_

_Rin. _

Murrue nearly smiled, happy to hear that Rin actually had fun. When she closed her eyes and tried to remember the party, most of it came back a very heavy blur. 'All I remember is Mu and I trading shots... Then waking up here. Damn, that must be why I've got the headache of the century...'

She turned the note over, seeing the difference in the writing. 'Erica wrote to us too...'

_Hey Murrue,_

_Figured you're going to be having one hell of a migraine in the morning, so I'll keep this as brief as I can. Yes, I did tape the entire party, mostly for laughs so we'd remember the great times alter, but damn you made it hilarious. I don't think I've ever seen you drink like that before, where'd you learn to down shots like that? I'm almost glad I can't drink, I'd have missed one hell of a party, that and I'd have gotten creamed. It was pretty funny how La Flaga was able to keep up with you, you have the skills woman. Rin was certainly entertained... Though to be honest I think the booze made the fun. I'll show you the video sooner or later, and by the way, I took Bryan home, figured he didn't need to see the mess you made of yourselves, I say it in jest, I love you both, heh. Can't wait to see you again, rest up and get over the hangover before you come down, kay?_

_See you soon,_

_Erica._

'Oh boy.'

* * *

"What _did_ go on last night?"

The low thrum of activity buzzed in the couple's ears, not enough to set off another raging migraine like the one they woke up with, but enough to sound too loud anyway. Mu had the sneaking suspicion that Rin and Erica had purposefully invited them to lunch/dinner for that very purpose.

Erica only shot a bright hundred watt grin at Rin, who started to giggle all over again, being mindful of her wrist which was now in a splint. Murrue scowled, not liking how they'd been avoiding their questions all day. She grumbled under her breath, "Will you just answer already? Yes we got very drunk and _very_ loose, can we get over the topic and act like mature adults now?"

"Pfft." Rin snickered into her hand, forcing herself to keep her laughter under control. She sat up in her chair, glancing around the little café before returning her gaze to her small ice-cream dish. She moved her spoon idly around the rim before she told them cheerfully, "Well, if you say so... What do you want to know first?"

"Do you actually have it all on video?" Murrue demanded first, turning to watch Erica's grin widen to touch her ears, the redhead looked _very_ proud of herself. The mere expression on her face told her all she needed to know and she groaned softly, massaging her temples. "Why oh why did I bring out the strong stuff?"

"Because you wanted to party." Rin answered sweetly, ducking to avoid a smack from Murrue. She straightened laughing, looking very amused with herself. "And boy didn't you party."

"Heheh, that'd be one way to put it." Erica joked, and the two women gave into a hysterical giggling fit, obviously enjoying their secret joke. She noticed Murrue was scowling again, and Mu looked incredibly grouchy so she had to stop herself from giggling. Rin clearly didn't give much of a care, shoulders shivering with mirth still. Erica cleared her throat, forcing the smile off her face and said seriously, "So yes, I have the entire party on tape... Much of which can be used for blackmail should I choose to expose you at work."

Rin hooted in laughter, bowing her head as her shoulders began to shake from the force of her mirth. Murrue was frowning again, and she tried her best to stop the giggles. "Sorry, but it's _funny_."

"You're not the one who woke up with a killer hangover." Mu told her sourly, and Rin tried to make herself sympathetic but it didn't work out at all, her big grin gave her away. "Try some sympathy, can't you!?"

"I'm sorry but you were the one who insisted on having the contest." Erica informed him pleasantly, and she yelped when she felt a sharp kick to her ankle. Murrue was grumbling at her and she immediately looked chagrined to get herself out of more punishment. "Alright, alright, do you just want us to tell you what happened?"

"Please."

"Well it kind of all started when you brought out the booze." Erica said with a little snicker, hastily moving her legs out of Murrue's aim of fire, glancing at Rin who was snickering again. "And well... Everything kinda just went... Very out of control."

"Pfft, Yamato got hammered and copped a feel on the princess, it was fucking hilarious." Rin giggled, and Erica started laughing all over again, bowing her head as the tears started.

Mu stared at the redhead in shock, glancing over to see Murrue looking incredibly amazed herself, both feeling the same thing, disbelief. Murrue shook her head, not sure if she'd heard it right, "Kira did _what_ to Lacus?"

"He copped a feel." Rin repeated with a happy chirp, Erica was still beside herself with laughter, the memory clearly a favourite of hers. Rin pretended to look thoughtful, the wide smile giving her away as she added cheerily, "Though to be honest I'd have said the princess was asking for it the entire time. She's a very happy drunk."

"Oh. My. God." Murrue still couldn't believe it, shaking her head again but she could tell Rin and Erica were being honest. She was having a hard time imagining Kira doing anything untoward to Lacus, but at the same time... Alcohol could warp anybody's personality. "Wow..."

Erica finally had calmed down enough to speak, cheeks flushed red and eyes sparkling, "Well _someone_ decided it'd be fun to have a drinking contest."

Rin added cheerfully, hopping up and down on her seat, now completely into the story, "_Someone_ was half in the bag by that time may I add."

"That was probably me." Mu grumbled, really wishing the women wouldn't be having such a lovely time poking fun at him. "Just tell me I didn't do something _really_ stupid while I was drunk."

"Not really." Erica added with a little snicker, glancing over at Rin who was now in another giggling fit. "Though I have to say, I have never heard the princess laugh like that, she was down and out after a few shots, the poor thing."

"Poor thing my ass, after I caught them necking in the backyard?" Rin asked Erica with raised eyebrows, looking entirely serious, "Screw it, they had a great night."

Murrue had to clap both hands over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, Mu was outright chuckling, looking very amused by this announcement. He grinned proudly and said jokingly, "Finally, the kid made himself a man."

"I'd have said the princess was the one who was in charge but meh, whatever floats your boat bro." Rin replied with raised eyebrows, and Murrue did burst out laughing at this. "It was funny, she was all over him. Laughing fit to burst might I add, she was hysterical. I loved it." She turned to Erica, waving her hand in a vague gesture, "You got that on camera didn't you?"

"Hell yes I did." Erica replied with a cackle, looking quite proud of herself at this development. "It's a good thing we got to stay sober, we watched everybody else fool around. The lot of you were in the bag. It was really the funniest thing I had ever seen."

"You said a contest?" Mu pressed, wondering just what kind of contest there had been going on. "What happened?"

"Well we got it all on tape." Rin mused, though her smile was devilish, completely ruining her thoughtful tone. "But I'll just tell you. It started because first off, by the time you got the idea, both of you were half in te bag and thought it'd be hilarious to have everybody into it. And because you missy," She turned to Murrue, looking delighted, "were already half in the bag by then, you asked us to join."

"We had a blast just watching you guys drink yourselves into a stupor."

Murrue blushed, feeling incredibly stupid for having forget the details even if she had been drinking. 'God I'm an idiot... I'm never drinking again.'

"Don't look so glum sweetie." Erica told her in a matter-of-fact tone, reaching over to pat her on the hand in an affectionate gesture. "We got the entire thing on tape so you can watch it all over again. Really, it'll make you laugh."

Murrue thought about that for a few moments, fighting a smile. Suddenly she traded it with a suspicious glare, crossing her arms over her chest. She asked slowly but crossly, not wanting a giggled out answer, "How much did you get on tape exactly?"

Rin beamed angelically, crossing herself and then placing her hands together in a gesture for prayer before asking innocently, "What do you mean by 'how much'?" Murrue's scowl was fearsome, and Rin immediately edged closer to Erica and answered hastily, "We didn't sneak into your room if that's what you're asking."

Murrue sighed, happy to hear some honesty and the fact that her and her lover's 'activities' weren't in danger of being exploited by her friends. She was slightly glad they'd decided to have the party on the beach at her home during the night, Bryan could sleep without being disturbed, and they had been quite rowdy. 'At least that's one thing I don't need to worry about...'

Erica couldn't resist it, and piped up cheerfully, "The tape will be a great thing to show Bryan and the kids when they're older." Murrue's jaw dropped and Erica immediately burst out laughing again.

"Are you kidding?! You better be kidding!" Murrue burst out, and she was well aware of Mu trying to hide his chuckles to her outburst. She whirled on him immediately, whacked him in the arm and growled, "You seriously want your son to see you acting like a drunk lewd idiot?"

"Where'd you get the 'lewd' bit from? That's interesting." Erica asked loudly, and Rin nearly fell off her chair she was laughing so hard. Murrue turned on her but she knew it was a battle lost, the two women had and probably would have the upper hand for quite some time.

"Shut up." She finally grumbled, crossing her arms and looking rather annoyed. Mu chuckled and threw his arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer.

"Do you want to watch the video tonight or shall I give it to you later?" Erica asked, trying her best to keep the laughter out of her voice and face serious. "Or do you not wanna watch it at all?"

Murrue resisted the urge to say yes, she was actually very keen on watching just what the women found so funny, but at the same time... She wasn't so eager to see herself acting like a total moron. "Oh fine... We'll watch it."

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna go through with this?" Mu asked her jokingly, fingering the 'Play' button on the remote now that the DVD Erica had burned, (she'd refused to give him the real copy, worried Murrue would toss it to avoid blackmail), was in the player. His only reply was an elbow in the ribs and he hit play.

The tv screen turned black for a moment, and a woman's laughter, Erica's, suddenly burst out. Then Rin's voice added the thrum, sounding amused. _"You forgot to take the cap off you idiot."_

"_Sorry, sorry..."_

The cap was removed now, and the camera scrolled around the back of the house, focussing on the gathering of people who were sitting around a huge roaring bonfire. Rin's face popped up, she laughed and took a few dainty steps back, before waving her injured hand at the camera. Her hair was done up in a neat ponytail, she was wearing a turquoise blue dress that flattered her curves. She chirped to them, _"Hey guys! Well..." _She gestured to the gathering and continued sheepishly, _"This is supposed to be my 'get well/happy you're back' party thing that Murrue and Mu are throwing for me, so naturally everyone I know's been invited. From the kid to my boss, everybody here."_

Erica laughed and handed the camera over to Rin and waved herself, speaking cheerfully, _"It hasn't been as bad as La Flaga made it out to be, we're all having fun and being glad she's home."_

The two spent a good half an hour wandering around the beach, interviewing some random people about how they knew Rin and how glad they were she was back and well. The two would trade off on different intervals, laughing and joking around with the guests.

Someone yelled out of the screen, _"Hey, somebody's coming out of the house with a bottle!"_

The camera immediately turned to see Murrue on the porch holding two bottles of alcohol, smirking sheepishly at the sudden roar of cheers that set up at the sight. Erica zoomed in on the bottles then back out to see Mu laughing, and she continued to film as Murrue set up shot glasses for the group.

It seemed the alcohol really didn't take much time to start working, the lot of the party were drunk and laughing and stumbling about. Erica's laughter was obvious, her comments to Rin punctuated the scenes, the two seemed to be having fun despite the fact that they were only nursing sodas.

The camera spun around suddenly, zooming in on a couple sitting together on the bench. Murrue raised her eyebrows, noting the young woman was basically on the boy's lap and she was flirting shamelessly with him. It zoomed in closer and Murrue nearly yelled out the girl's name in alarm. "Lacus! Oh my god!"

"Ha!" Mu burst out laughing, watching the way the princess neatly arranged and rearranged herself on the kid's lap. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, and he was delighted to see her cheeks were flushed a hectic red, she was just as drunk as the kid was. He couldn't stop an amused snort when he watched Kira's hand make its way up Lacus' leg and settle on her backside, which only earned a surprised squeak from Murrue,

"Heh."

"_Ooh, look at the lovebirds!" _Rin squealed in jest, looking as though she was going to collapse with laughter. The camera was shaking, and Erica's giggle could be heard, both of them were struggling with their amusement to the drunken chaos around them.

The camera inconspicuously followed Kira from the log back to the table for more drinks, and he got a hearty clap on the shoulder from a tipsy Mu.

"_Good job kid. You finally did it."_

"I can't believe you said that!" Murrue burst out, staring at her lover in amazed surprise.

"I can't believe I said it either, but there it is." Mu snorted, gesturing to the television which continued to merrily play the video. It was surprising two hours of footage had already been shot, but they were having too much fun watching themselves.

The camera followed the drunk party-goers around, before focussing on the table which had been brought onto the sand. A now half in the bag Mu raised a shot glass, slurring his words horribly managed to make an announcement about a drinking contest.

A drunk Kira and Lacus joined the fun, and Rin immediately pulled up a chair to watch the event from close action. She stole the camera so Erica could sit down as well, and would continuously switch from drinker to drinker as they exchanged quick shots. Things got hectic and Kira bowed out, after another shot Lacus left too, and the two walked off, or staggered off, linking arms and laughing.

"_This is the thirteenth shot."_ Rin cheerfully narrated, and the camera switched to Murrue and Mu again, and she added teasingly, _"And our heroes face down their toughest challenge yet, another shot of..."_ She faded off, and Erica caught a picture of her confused face,"_What is it now?"_

"_JD." _Erica informed her, voice shaking with mirth. She aimed the camera again, and the couple took their next shot. It continued like that, the two occasionally bickering to each other but mostly it was quiet. Suddenly they were just gone, and Erica looked to Rin for an explanation and she could only shrug.

Slowly the party-goers were driven home by the sober few, and it remained only to be Erica and Rin now, who were both snickering still. Erica had the camera, focussing on Rin who took a long chug of her soda before hiccupping to which they both laughed.

She spoke cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear as she waved again at the camera, _"Well people, I had a great fucking time, and it was just too funny to ever want to miss out on. Oh and Kira if you're watching this, I think you grabbing the pink princess's ass was the most heroic thing I have ever seen you do, and I wish you luck in marriage. And that drinking contest? Epic win man, that was hilarious. I bet many people will be sleeping off very nasty hangovers tomorrow."_

Erica's voice was heard and she asked interestingly, _"Any questions for the viewers from you?"_

Rin's puzzled face filled the screen, and she pursed her lips for a long moment. Finally a thought popped into her head and she laughed and said as seriously and teasingly as she could, _"Oh yeah, I have one!"_ She faced the camera and asked seriously, _"Murrue, where the _fuck_ did you get all that booze? And where do you _keep_ it woman? I've never seen anyone down it like you have, that was terrifying!"_

Erica snorted and the camera trembled, nearly falling but thankfully the redhead's excellent reflexes saved it. She adjusted the camera, focussing on Rin again. _"And that would be the girl who started the party today, heheh. So, any wisdom to leave us with?"_

Completely seriously, Rin looked at the camera and said with a straight face, _"Don't ever drink against Murrue. You're going to lose, and you're going to lose _hard_."_

"_Oh c'mon Rin, seriously!"_ Erica heckled the blond, not satisfied with the answer. _"Something only you can say!"_

Rin pulled a face, sticking out her tongue at the camera before she frowned, looking seriously in thought. _"Hmm... Alright..."_ She looked back up at the screen, winked playfully and said cheerfully, _"Life's one big laugh, you don't need to get the joke to giggle at it with your friends." _And the screen went black.

Murrue blinked, looking over at Mu who had started to laugh quietly to himself, "Well I guess Erica was right, it was rather funny."

"I still am trying to get over the fact that Kira grabbed the princess." Mu snorted, chuckling at the image that was stuck in his mind. He was startled to realize he really wasn't that embarrassed, there had been too much to laugh at to get flustered over. "It's a good thing Erica only gave us a burned version, she was being careful."

"Yes she was." Murrue nodded her agreement, leaning over to place the DVD back in its little case, setting it on top of the television to let her remember to bring it back to the redhead. "That was funny, it was a good thing they didn't drink."

"I have to ask Murrue, I really agree with my sister on this." Mu finally confessed, and she looked at him in confusion, wondering what he was going on with. "Where _do_ you keep all that booze?"

Murrue winked playfully, looking amused as she bounced from one foot to another, preparing to bolt. "It's a secret." And she took off laughing, hearing him close behind. He caught her around the waist and she giggled as he tugged her back into his arms, half dragging her to their room before kicking the door shut behind them.

**AN**

**Lmao, how much fun did I have with this chapter? I had a damn cupcake earlier and that amount of sugar got me hyper**_** (it's not even sugar Sky)**_** Quiet Evie. Anywhosit, I had the most fun with this, lol, though I really do expect a flame for the intense OOCness going on in here, but hey people there's being drunk, and then there's being ooc. When you're drunk, you're ooc, it's a sad fact, lol. But it's about having fun, letting loose, and as Rin said, laughing. Please leave a review!**

**Sky **


	24. Chapter 23

Mu peeked over the woman, making sure she was still asleep before he dared to move. Much to his delight she was, marigold eyes closed and a peaceful smile spread across her lips. Fighting a chuckle, he slowly unwound his arms from her middle and tentively slipped out of bed, making sure to not make a sound. 'She's a very light sleeper... It's amazing how late she's been sleeping in lately...'

He tiptoed outside of their room, pausing to peek in on his still fast asleep son, and then he wandered outside with a cup of coffee to wake him up properly.

He blinked in the bright sunlight, and sat himself down on the porch facing the sunrise, running a hand through his already horribly mussed hair. 'Guess all the work in Morgenroete is tiring her out... I've never seen her sleep this much...' He idly stretched, fighting a long yawn. "Damn..."

He stretched his arms over his head again, glancing out past the sunrise, wondering what would be waiting for him in the city. 'Probably more stunt flying, Rin's favourite...' He snorted at the obvious lie in his musing, 'Though Erica won't let her fly too much, she always sends her off early... And it's a bit amusing how much she pouts.'

"_Oi vey Erica, my wrist is finally getting better, my cuts are mostly all healed, why do you keep sending me home early?"_

"_You're still injured and I'm still the boss despite the fact that I'm roughly five-six months along. Get your ass back home."_

'She still hasn't left the plant yet, it's a bit funny... She's got a bump now that's pretty obvious but she really doesn't give a real damn... It'll eventually end up with Murrue and Rin kicking her out and tying her down to the couch to make her stay at her place...'

"Why didn't you wake me up before you went out?" A soft voice tickled his ear, and he laughed as he felt two slim arms wind around his shoulders.

"I figured you needed the sleep, you've been dead on your feet lately." Mu told her with a soft chuckle, looking over to see her watching him with a tired smile. She simply sat beside him, lay her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly. He absently began to toy with her hair, watching her close her eyes and relax. He muttered softly into her hair, "Don't fall asleep on me, love... You do need to go to work later..."

Murrue grumbled a curse, but didn't get up, content where she was. He didn't make another comment, instead wound his arm around her waist to tug her closer, burying his face in her hair. Occasionally he'd whisper one of those sweet nothings she loved to hear, pressing a gentle kiss to her ear and cheek before resuming his soft nuzzling.

"You don't wanna go to work today, do you?" Mu teased softly, knowing she was probably half asleep already still. She didn't need to a say anything for him to get an answer. "Alright..." He nuzzled into her neck once more and told her quietly, "Go back to bed then, I'll tell Erica you stayed home. You need your rest and she won't mind you missing a day."

Murrue mumbled her argument, but to be honest she really didn't have the strength to make much of a fuss about his decision. 'I really am tired... One day wouldn't bother me that much...' She nuzzled back into his arms and murmured tiredly, "But it's no fun home alone..."

"I gotta work, you know that." Mu admonished her gently, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of her hair, tugging her close for a warmer embrace. "You just worry about sleeping and resting up, I'll be back before you know it."

"Nn."

Mu chuckled, feeling her shake her head and hold onto him, but her grip was weak, she really was exhausted even after a long night of sleep. "Yes you do, now c'mon." He swept her into his lap and then stood up with her, and she grumbled the entire way but he carried her back to their room.

He set her down in bed, but she caught his arm with more strength then he thought she had and tugged him down with her. Before he could react properly she quickly snatched a fierce kiss before releasing him and snuggling into a ball under the covers. Dumbfounded by this, all he could manage was a dull, "Duh?"

Murrue grinned broadly to herself, tugging the covers closer as she finally began to relax again and it only took a few moments before she was fast asleep once more.

Mu laughed softly to himself, realizing that as long as she got her one kiss from him before he left she'd be content. He gently brushed her hair back, leaned down and touched his lips to her cheek, muttering quietly, "I love you..."

She murmured incoherently, and he was sure she said his name, but he could only chuckle softly and creep back out after throwing on his work clothes. He woke Bryan up and quickly got him ready for another day with the orphans, something the little boy looked forward to eagerly. He fed Neo, the little kitten pawed at Murrue's door and slid inside.

He peeked in, watching Neo hop onto the bed and promptly curl up right beside the sleeping brunette and fall asleep. Laughing at this, he watched Bryan eat his cereal with gusto, hopped down from his chair and wait impatiently for him.

After dropping him off he travelled to work, and wasn't surprised to see Rin's prized blue convertible already there. He hopped out of the car and wandered inside, looking around. He wasn't surprised to see Erica and Rin arguing fiercely at the door to the eastern area where the mobile suit training took place.

The fellow pilots had become quite used to the bickering between the director and the only woman on their team, it was a rather daily occurrence. They did wonder why the redhead bothered to put up with her, but they're close friendship was very obvious despite the arguments.

"Come on Erica, I haven't been allowed to go into a fight for ages, I'm getting bored practising my barrel-rolls." Rin complained, crossing her arms over her stomach, looking rather annoyed. "There's only so many times you can go over your stunts and your manoeuvres. I'm getting bored. And I'm sick and tired of being treated like I'm a glass ornament, if it was anyone else you'd have had them out on the field full-time by now."

"Are you accusing me of picking favourites?" Erica asked with raised eyebrows, looking to see Rin glaring challengingly back at her. She saw Mu waving his hands at Rin's back, completely sheepish to his sister's argument. He palmed his face when she didn't turn around, but Erica smirked broadly at this.

She knew Rin was right, she didn't want the blond anywhere near another combat situation until she was completely certain of her return to health. 'Still... I can't let her out me like that in front of the other idiots. She's one of the best we have, and they're running few. That and she's my best friend, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she got hurt again...'

"You bet I'm accusing you of picking favourites." Rin growled, not liking the special treatment at all. She was sick and tired of the having to hold back, she wanted the normalcy of a good fight. "It's been how long since I've gotten back? Two months. I'm tired and I want to be a regular pilot again and not an invalid."

"Your wrist is still healing, I can't afford to have you break it again." Erica said in a oddly indifferent tone, trying her best to keep her voice level and the smile inside. "You need to wait till it's healed properly."

"Dammit, even the doctor said I could go back to piloting as long as I don't go into battle again! There's nothing remotely dangerous about a combat training round!" Rin burst out in frustration, throwing her hands up into the air. "I'll be fine Simmons!"

"Not yet."

"Fine! I quit!"

That certainly got both of the other's attention, Mu stared at her with a wide mouth, while Erica had to blink several times in alarm. Rin was growling, hands curled into tight fists at her side and turquoise eyes chips of blue ice. She repeated coldly, eyes narrowing, "I quit. If the lot of you are going to treat me like I need to be wrapped up in bubble-wrap, then I'm not going to take it. I quit."

"You're going to leave... Because I'm worried about you getting yourself hurt again?" Erica asked her slowly, the hurt and confusion evident in her expression and tone.

"Damn straight I'm going to leave." Rin snapped, not moving an inch, back stiff and posture straight as an arrow. "I did _not_ come here for special treatment. I don't _want_ special treatment. I'm a soldier, and I'm a pilot. Nothing more. I'm not your friend while we're working, I'm your underling and I fucking expect to be treated like it. I don't need you to be worrying about me when I'm perfectly fine, I can handle myself, do I need to prove that to you again? I'm not going to sit around on the sidelines because you are too scared of me wiping out. I'll go back to Alaska if I have to."

"Rin that's a stupid reason to quit." Mu told her weakly, not being able to understand her logic behind the reasoning. He knew she was extremely touchy about people who worried about her good health, she was fiercely independent and just as stubborn. But this was a scary example of just how fierce she could get about small issues.

Erica took a few long moments before she said anything, and she gently set her clipboard on the crate behind her and watched Rin for the longest time. Finally she took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and asked in a low voice, "You expect me to believe that bullshit?"

Both La Flaga siblings blinked at this, taken aback by her quiet tone and the harsh words. Rin recovered first, eyes hardening again with resolve. "It's the damn truth."

"You don't have the guts to say that again to my face." Erica continued in that same low deadly tone, and Mu instinctively took a step back, reminded of the rare occasions he'd ever seen Murrue lose her temper. "You expect me to believe you're going to quit because I'm giving you some leniency? What person in their right mind argues against getting some special treatment?"

Rin's scowl didn't fade, but there was a flicker in her eyes that only made Erica's narrow. She didn't answer, but Mu saw her hands curl into tighter fists.

"I don't honestly give a damn if you leave or go, I never said I'd hold you here." Erica told her slowly, voice still low to make Rin pay close attention to her words. "But if you're going to make up some bullshit excuse to get out of here, you can bet your ass I'm going to make it very hard for you. Are you worried that because you get special treatment from me makes you less or more important to me than your coworkers? Does it bother you that somebody wastes their time worrying about you? Or do you not think you're worth being worried over?" The words confused Mu, but they made Rin wince and she looked away, scowl quavering on her face. "You should know by now that some people think you're very important. You should also know that your brother isn't the only one who loves you. So either you give me your real damn excuse for being pissed off about some interest for your well-being, or keep going with your idiotic explanation that's complete bullshit."

The silence and tension could be cut with a knife, no one seemed to be willing or wanting to speak. Onlookers who had been pretending to do their jobs had turned to just stare, and a few were still trying to pretend they never noticed but were paying close attention.

Rin uncurled her hands, took a long deep breath and finally raised her face to meet Erica's fierce eyes, her own lost of spark. She finally reached into her pocket, and took out a ring, sliding it gently onto her left hand. She touched the diamond gently and then looked back up at her superior. She spoke quietly but quickly, the words rushing out faster than anyone expected, "You know how much I hate being fussed over. I don't like different treatment just because I'm sick, or because I'm your friend, or because I'm your sibling. I hate it. I want to be treated regularly because I'm nothing special and I want to do things on my own. But I'm going to have get used to it, aren't I? I'm getting married soon... And I'm pretty sure that means a family will end up following."

Erica blinked, and her eyes flickered down to the ring before up again, completely startled. Finally she found her words and asked weakly, "You're getting _what_?"

"I'm getting married. To Jason." Rin finally mumbled, cheeks flushing a hectic red and her gaze settling to the floor. "He's a great guy and I love him to death... And he proposed to me when I got back from Alaska. I accepted."

The silence fell over them again, Erica looked as though she really needed to sit down, and Mu could only stare in amazement. Erica shook her head, regaining her composure as quickly as she could, "Is this why you've been acting so strange? Because of Jason?"

"Pretty much so, yes."

"Holy shit."

The two conversed quietly and quickly for a few short moments, and then Rin wandered off towards her mobile suit without really giving the others any glances.

Mu hesitantly approached the stricken woman when she finally looked a bit more composed, and mumbled weakly, "Um... Murrue's not going to be in today."

"What?" Erica turned to look at hum again, having not been paying attention. She was still concentrated on the fact that her best friend was going to get married to her husband's younger brother. "Sorry?"

"Murrue isn't going to be here today."

"Oh."

* * *

Murrue paced nervously, glancing over at the little stick every so often, but she knew the time was still ticking down. She chewed her lower lip before resuming the pacing of her room, trying to keep her messy thoughts in some sort of order. She was glad she had the home to herself today, she wasn't sure of what had been happening to her lately...

'It's been obvious though, I should have recognized it sooner... Sick in the morning, always exhausted, the cravings...' Murrue bit her lower lip, noting could be certain until she got her results and checked with her doctor again, but a little part of her told her that it was true.

'I feel bad for hiding my being ill... I just didn't want to cause a fuss till I was sure...'

She glanced up at the clock again, and cursed time for being so slow. 'Ten more minutes...' And she resumed her pacing.

Throughout her time, she was well aware of Neo sitting on the edge of the bed, his green eyes following her curiously. He was staring at her, and every once and awhile he'd cock his head to the side and bat at his ear, but for the most part he watched her pace.

Murrue swallowed nervously and forced herself to think of the news Mu had told her a week earlier about his little sister. 'Rin's getting married... That blew everyone off their axis for a few days, I don't think I've ever seen Erica so shocked. I only knew she was dating the boy, I had no idea she and him were so serious... But... It's a nice thing she has someone special in her life, whether or not she'll ever admit it, she needs it.'

'And it was nice of Erica to keep letting her working after that huge fight they had... I never heard of Rin being so mad.' Murrue mused inwardly, knowing she was still pacing the length of her room. Neo hopped down from the bed and started to follow her feet, meowing quietly from time to time. 'Erica's pretty out of it still, I bet the shock that she and Rin will be distantly related by marriage is still hitting her... Though even she can't deny the fact that it's a good thing for Rin. The girl needs somebody who can kick her in the ass when she needs it.'

She glanced back up the clock, watching intently as the second hand finally began to tick its way to the large 12. Neo followed her gaze up, and then followed her obediently into her dresser, staring at whatever she was looking at.

With a shivering hand she reached out, and she realized after a moment she hadn't touched it yet. Cursing herself for being so nervous, she forced her hand closer and picked up the stick. Slowly she looked down, taking a deep breath before she searched for the results.

Her heart stopped for a shattering moment, and she gently placed it back on the desk before falling into a sitting position on the bed. 'Oh... My... God...'

She wasn't as overwhelmed by the surge of emotion in her chest as she had been the first time, but it still took her breath away as she realized what was happening. Her hands unconsciously settled on her stomach, and an odd smile spread itself across her face.

'I'm pregnant.'

**AN**

**XD Sorry I couldn't make that scene longer, it just wasn't going for me this morning, eheh. It seems this entire chapter wasn't going for me really. (Cue big sweatdrop) I'm gonna work hard on making the next one as fluffy as possible, lol, this story is in dire need of it. Oh, and an announcement, yes, I am going to be ending this story in a few chapters (including an epilogue) so we'll see how it goes, nein?**

**Sky **


	25. Chapter 24

"Y'know for some odd reason, I'm not really surprised." Rin snickered behind her hand, trying her best to keep a straight face while Erica only stared in open-mouthed shock. She glanced around, quite glad she was in her own apartment for the moment, and even more so for the announcement to take place under her roof.

Murrue forced her gaze from Erica's still shocked face to Rin's happily amused one, and looked insulted. "What do you mean you're not surprised?"

"Well I mean really Murrue, look at you and him." Rin giggled, waving her hand in a vague gesture, bouncing up and down in her chair. "You two are literally all over each other whenever you get the chance, and ever since he's started remembering things it's like the 'On' switch has finally been flicked. You two are almost exactly like you used to be. Why should we be surprised about you being pregnant?"

"I'm surprised." Erica spoke up with a grunt, looking fairly annoyed by Rin's airy explanation.

"Your pregnant." Murrue pointed out, and immediately Rin started to laugh at the words. Erica scowled and glared at her, forcing Murrue to cover her tracks quickly, "What I mean by that is, your emotions can't exactly be stable with all the hormones." Erica's glare turned more pronounced and Rin was nearly out of her chair with laughter. Murrue waved her hands in exasperation and burst out, "_You know what I mean!_"

"I know what you mean but I still think that's a low blow." Erica grumbled grumpily, crossing her arms and glaring at the floor. She added in a low growl, "It's not fair to use my condition against me."

"You're literally exploding." Rin told her with a loud snicker, and Erica immediately snatched a pillow and tossed it hard her way. As if time had slowed, Rin's hand flicked out and she caught the pillow with ease, setting it down in her lap and folding her arms across it. "Well c'mon Erica, look at yourself!"

"I know." Erica replied somewhat smugly, placing both hands on her stomach, looking incredibly content. Rin was right of course, she couldn't deny that, at now nearly seven months now she _had_ grown quickly. And it gave her a smug satisfaction to know she was going to soon give birth to her second child.

"Ugn, look at you two." Rin complained with a hint of feigned disgust in her voice, turquoise eyes sparkling with mirth, "You're disgusting."

"Heh, you just can't wait to end up like this." Erica told her cheerfully, patting her stomach and Murrue sniggered uncontrollably.

"Oh I can wait." Rin told her without missing a beat, eyes now twinkling happily as she relaxed into the chair and began to twirl her ring around her finger. "And sweetheart, when _I_ have kids, I'll be in the PLANTs."

"Eh?" Murrue looked at her in surprise, and that comment also made Erica whirl around in complete shock. "What do you mean the PLANTs? You're leaving ORB?"

"I was going to wait to tell you, but..." Rin smiled sheepishly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, and she settled back into her chair. "Well, I figured I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret and especially with you coming out like this."

"Wait, PLANTs? You're leaving Earth entirely?" Murrue asked, still not understanding what Rin was going on about. Erica looked just as confused, though a hint of understanding now burned in her eyes. "Why?"

Rin blushed in embarrassment, and began to twirl her engagement ring again. She took a deep breath and finally explained softly, "Jason asked me to move in with him. He can't legally move into ORB because of his history as a soldier, not for another two years anyway... The Treaty forbids it, he needs to get it cleared by the government first and they're not interested in losing him just yet. So I need to go to PLANTs."

"Because he can't come here you're going there." Erica finished for her with a tight smile, and Rin nodded weakly. Murrue looked struck, and Erica sighed deeply. "That's a pity..."

"It's only until he gets cleared to move down here, I'll only be gone for two years at the most. I can visit." Rin murmured weakly, knowing that the bad news really did outweigh the good. "It's not as if I wanted to let everybody down, that's not it at all... But... I didn't want to tell you the day I was going."

Murrue took a deep breath, forcing herself to not overreact. She knew Rin meant well by telling them at all, she was a naturally warm-hearted person despite the tough persona she lived in. 'And she's doing it for love, now isn't she? If I was in her shoes, and it was Mu up in the PLANTs... Wouldn't I go?' She didn't even need to answer herself, she already knew what she would have done. And because of that... She couldn't be angry. "How often will you visit?"

"As often as I can." Rin answered immediately, honesty shining in every line of her face as she locked stares with Murrue. "And I swear it, even if it kills me I'll be there when you go into labour. Both of you." She added, looking over at Erica. "Though I'm not going to go for another two months, you know that you two mean the world to me, right?"

"Of course we know." Erica told her with a smile, wishing she was close enough to tousle her hair in an affectionate gesture. "And there's nothing wrong with you chasing after you dream, not after so many years of jumping around."

Rin blushed despite herself, looking down at her lap. "I do not jump around, I just move frequently."

Murrue coughed and it oddly sounded much like the curse 'bullshit' which only caused Erica to burst out laughing. Rin scowled at both women but neither really seemed to mind that, shooting brilliant grins back at her. "It's alright Rin. I'm just glad you told us."

"Well it's not like I could hide it forever, you'd notice if I upped and left." Rin answered sourly, pretending to sulk, but it really did no good, the smile came out. "I'm just glad you're happy for me."

"How could we not be?" Murrue asked with raised eyebrows, getting to her feet and perching on the armrest of her friend's chair, pulling her into a hug. "We both love you, and we want what's best for you. And if going to PLANTs, getting hitched to her brother in law and having a family is what makes you happy, we won't argue against it." She wasn't surprised to see Rin's blush darken under the curtain of her hair, and that only caused Murrue's grin to broaden.

"Thank you."

The three women spent a few good long minutes talking about Rin's plans, many of which were not settled yet. After the subject dried up they turned their focus back to Murrue, tossing quick questions her way at lightning speed. She answered as best she can, though in truth she wasn't sure how to answer.

"Girl or boy?"

"I'd like a little girl... After Bryan, I think I'd have fun having a daughter." Murrue answered with a little smile, noticing how Erica was grinning from ear to ear at the answer. "Though if it's a boy... I wouldn't mind that either."

"Told Mu yet?"

"Actually I'm telling him tonight, I didn't know how to tell him yesterday, I thought I'd practise on you two first." Murrue admitted sheepishly, and Rin smirked while Erica tried hard to not laugh. "Quiet, it's one thing to tell your girlfriends, another to tell your boyfriend!"

"Ah, that's right, you two aren't married yet." Rin laughed out loud, and Erica started to giggle behind her hand, looking very amused. Rin pretended to be appalled, pointing an accusing finger to Murrue, "My god woman, you're living in sin!"

"Pfft, you're accusing me of living in sin?" Murrue asked her with raised eyebrows, looking quite surprised. "And who exactly are you Rin La Flaga? Hypocrite."

Rin stuck out her tongue and Erica was in hysterics by the end of the short exchange. Erica recovered after a few moments and asked Murrue sweetly, "Any plans for marriage?"

Murrue blushed to the roots of her hair, and glanced down at her lap as her embarrassment grew. "If he asks..." She mumbled, shyly toying with a lock of her hair, "Then maybe... But if he doesn't, that's alright too... I don't really mind it one way or another, as long as he's here."

"Aw, now it's a romance." Erica teased, earning Rin's approval via laughter. Murrue was blushing brightly again, reminding the redhead of the roses that she was so in love with. "Oh c'mon, it's the perfect idea for a novel, don't you think? Fell in love, had a kid, lost the man of your dreams for two years, he came back amnesiac and you still managed to find a way to get your happiness back."

"It could either work as an epic love story worthy of the Titanic or a very bad harlequin romance, depends on the director and scriptwriter." Rin snickered, and she ducked a whack from Murrue but couldn't keep her laughter under control. "Either that or a very slow moving soap opera."

"I'm going to hurt you!"

"Save me!" Rin squealed, bounding up from the chair to hide behind the couch where Erica was sitting. Murrue gave chase, and it only ended up sending the trio into a mad fit of happy laughter. Rin grinned from behind the couch, watching the two older pregnant women laughing and smiling. 'I'm really happy for her... I bet the news will go well with Mu... Then the sky's the limit.'

* * *

"What'cha thinking about?" Mu asked, peeking down to watch his lover with a puzzled expression. She'd been quiet the entire day, as if in deep thought. They'd been snuggled up together on the couch watching a movie now that Bryan had been sent to bed, and through the entire film they'd been silent, something that unnerved him.

He was used to her thoughtful silence, and the comfortable one that they shared as well, but today it seemed different. As if she was trying to find a way to tell him something. And it was that fact that made him, anxious.

Murrue smiled sheepishly, looking up to see his concerned eyes and she immediately felt bad for making him nervous with her silence. Giving him a gentle kiss to the cheek she told him honestly, "Us... Do you remember that day in the park awhile ago?"

"Hmm, we've had a lot of days in the park." Mu told her with a little chuckle, winding his arms more securely around her waist. "Mind refreshing my memory?"

"That day when you suggested Bryan having a sibling."

Mu blinked, a little surprised by that and he watched her watching him intently, gouging his reaction. "Yeah... I remember that day... Why?"

Murrue blushed fiercely, and swore he could hear her heart racing madly inside her chest. She struggled for words, chewing her bottom lip for a few long moments as she thought it over. Finally she locked eyes with him and said softly, "You said that you'd be glad to be a father, didn't you? And now that you know you are... I want to tell you that our family is about to get a little bit bigger." He blinked, and his eyes widened a little and she whispered softly, "I'm pregnant."

"You're pregnant?" Mu repeated with widening eyes, and she nodded shyly, a small smile gracing her lips. "That's great!" She only had time to squeak in surprise before he nearly suffocated her in a massive bear hug. He let her go after a few long moments, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm glad you're happy." Murrue squeaked, still breathless from the sudden embrace. He was grinning much like a little boy who'd just received a treat, and she hugged him again. He sat up and fluidly moved her into his lap, wrapping his arms securely around her waist.

"Of course I'm happy." Mu told her hoarsely, throat tight with several emotions that were all very closely related. Joy, delight, surprise, ecstasy, he could barely breathe he was so happy. "How could I _not_ be?"

"No, it's not that I didn't think you would be, I just didn't expect such a... Reaction." Murrue answered weakly, watching his grin broaden as he nestled her closer to his chest. She took the advantage to snuggle as close as possible, breathing in his scent with a happy sigh. "I found out for sure yesterday from my doctor... I didn't know how to tell you right away, so I told the girls to practise on first..." She looked up at him, reaching out to touch the scar on his nose, before replacing her finger with a gentle kiss. "No secrets, remember?"

"I remember." Mu smiled broadly, taking the chance to snatch a warm kiss from her this time. She was eager to reply into it, thin arms thrown around his shoulders as she melted into his body. He broke away after a moment, looking thoughtful. "Well, if we're at it then..." After giving her another sharp kiss to the mouth he pulled out a box from his pocket and smiled wryly at her startled expression. "Well... I love you, you know that... And I love Bryan... Even before I knew who you were I'd fallen in love with your family all over again... It was nice to fall in love with you all over again, I enjoyed every minute I had with you... Even though I don't remember every single memory yet, I'm more than happy to spend my life with you making new ones. So..." He gently placed the box in her hands.

Murrue looked from his eyes to the box again, and tentively opened it, before gasping audibly. Inside the box sat a ring, a silver band topped with a triangle shaped fiery topaz stone. She looked up at him in shock, not sure what to say to him. "Mu..."

"Will you marry me?" Mu asked quietly, watching her stare from the ring to his face in amazement. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Bryan... And whoever's next... So... Will you marry me and make it official?"

Murrue could only nod, throat closed off with tears that were threatening to spill over her face. He took the box from her, took the ring out and gently placed it onto her hand to join it with the diamond she was already wearing. She swallowed hard, sniffling a little when the tears finally broke free. "I'm sorry, I'm just..."

"Silly." Mu scolded quietly, pulling her back into his lap and gently brushing her tears away. She sniffled softly again, and he leaned down to catch the last one with his lips, before smiling into her emotional face. "C'mere..."

"I love you." Murrue murmured brokenly against his neck trying her best to stop the tears that just seemed content to keep coming. "So much..."

"I love you too Murrue..." Mu muttered back, holding her securely as she snuggled closer to him if it was possible. He couldn't stop the smile that was spreading over his face now, the thought of the future that awaited them bringing an eagerness to him. 'Let the world bring what it wants... I have her... And the future's waiting.'

**AN**

**XD Lol, I went all out, can you believe it? So, next one is the last one (yep I'm quitting, lol) And yeah I may miss some details/events but I'm hoping the fluff of the epilogue will be able to make up for it... And I'll do my best to try and capture as much as I can in a few short pages. (Lol) So hang on, the end is yet to come!**

**Sky**


	26. Epilogue

"Hi!"

"Hey!" Murrue laughed, having not expected to see them so soon, she hadn't expected to see them until around later that afternoon. She smiled broadly, the little lines that had grown on her face over the years seeming to only disappear and not grow more prominent in her delight.

"I missed you Mom!" Ava squealed, racing forward to be the first to give her mother a hug, closing her marigold eyes as they embraced tightly. The young woman bounced back immediately after she let go, looking exactly like a carbon copy of her mother. She brushed a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear, the rest tied up tightly in a ponytail, slim body accentuated by her tight fitting blue jeans and white tanktop.

"I missed you too sweetheart." Murrue laughed softly, once again hugging the youngest of her twins, before pulling away to examine her from top to bottom. Her pale skin had darkened a little bit by her recent tan, but otherwise she looked completely fit. "Florida's been treating you well it seems."

"It's been fun in America." Ava replied with a giggle of her own, stepping inside at her mother's invitation. The walls were coated with pictures, some ranging from as early as nearly twenty-five years ago, when her brother had first been born, her graduation from highschool, to the first picture Bryan's new daughter. She eased out fo her flip-flops, examining the newest addition to the wall with interest.

"You like that picture?" Murrue asked, leaning over her youngest's shoulder, looking at the photo with a little smile. It was the most recent they'd been able to take, it showed the family of five with the newest addition to the La Flaga's, their first granddaughter. They had lined up on the beach, grinning broadly when Uncle Kira had taken the picture for them, it had only been two months ago they'd seen each other, but it seemed like a lifetime.

"It's a great picture." Ava agreed, looking around the wall before back to the picture. She examined her brother for a long moment, though his wife hadn't been there, she was glad to see her niece, the little dark haired girl was a real spitfire. Then she turned to her elder sister, who was the exact same as her father, with her mother's personality. She snickered into her hand and teased, "And of course you caught Paige when she had her hair down... For once."

"Be nice about your sister." Murrue scolded, tapping her youngest in the nose before walking off into the kitchen, hearing Ava following obediently behind her. "It's not her fault she likes to keep it up." She tried not to smile, knowing Paige's more stern attitude wasn't the only thing that made the twins polar opposites. Ava was a free-spirit, who got into as much trouble as she could. Paige was hard-nosed and hard-working, and a very good girl. With very opposing personalities it was a mystery how they were still as close as they were.

"I will Mom." Ava pretended to whine, rolling her marigold eyes behind her mother's back. She wasn't surprised when her mother turned around and gave her a smart whack in the shoulder, as if she'd seen what she'd done. Shrugging her shoulders, she sulked, not liking the trouble she was in. "This is why I moved out, you've got eyes in the back of your head and ears in the walls."

"You moved out because we weren't letting you freeload off us at eighteen." Murrue reminded her with a devilish grin, causing Ava to pout fiercely again. "Bryan was out on his own when he turned seventeen, do you remember that?"

"Yes I do, out to see the world, so to speak." Ava grumbled, rolling her eyes again, but she was quick to dodge another affectionate swipe to her arm again. She tried not to smirk, remembering how much her brother was _very_ well loved by the students at the academy, both then and now. "Well he met a lady who tamed him and he's settled down now with a cute little girl that I'm going to kidnap, I'm happy for him."

"You're going to kidnap little Celeste?" Murrue asked with raised eyebrows, and Ava only grinned broadly in reply. Murrue rolled her eyes, turning to the counter as she set the plates inside the cupboards. "I don't understand why you don't just find a man of your own and have one."

"Because no one attracts my interest." Ava replied primly, hopping up to sit on the edge of the counter, before she looked around with a bit of a wistful look on her face. "Though I'll be honest, the entire 'settling down' and 'domestic' thing sure does look nice..." She sighed and shook her head, before glancing around again. "Am I the only one here yet?"

"Yeah, the others aren't coming for another hour or so..." Murrue remarked, turning back to the sink to finish up the dishes. "I'm betting Paige will come exactly ten minutes before she's supposed to, probably dragging poor Roger behind her..."

"Fft." Ava tried her best not to laugh, remembering the young man who had silently been watching her sister from afar for years before he got up the nerve to ask her out on a date. It was hard to believe they were married now, the family had been taking bets on when she would finally get pregnant. "Poor Roger... Yeah right, he knew what he was getting into, it's funny to watch." She glanced around again, frowning a little. "Where's Dad?"

The question was just out of her mouth when she was suddenly snatched from behind and tossed off the counter and into a warm pair of arms. She squeaked in alarm before squealing in delight and jumped happily back into her father's hug. "Daddy!" He chuckled and attempted to ruffle her tightly done up hair, and she playful ducked his advances.

"Hey there squirt!" Mu laughed, hugging her again and she laughed again before wrapping her arms around him as best she could. He released her after a moment, marvelling about just how much she resembled her mother, it was like he had gone back in time, she looked exactly like Murrue did all those years ago, maybe a fair bit slimmer and a few inches taller, but the same anyway.

"You're getting grey Daddy." Ava teased, reaching up to touch the grey streaks at his temple, touching his hair lovingly. She turned to look at her mother and added sweetly, "Just like Mom. You match." Mu snorted and easily hoisted her over his shoulder, and she cried out in alarm before the sound faded into laughter. "Alright, alright, I was lying, you look fine! No more age cracks, I'll behave today!"

Mu chuckled again and easily set her back on her feet, watching her straighten her clothes with a huff, but the brilliant grin never faded from her angelic face. Murrue rolled her eyes and Mu only chuckled harder, tugging Ava close to press a kiss to her cheek. "You better behave." He told her gravely, trying his hardest to look severe but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. "Or else."

"You'll ground me?" Ava asked sarcastically, and she ducked to avoid a swat in the head, racing around the counter to join her mother at the sink. "Okay, behaving, I got it!" She quickly picked up a towel and began to dry the dishes Murrue was finishing washing.

"You know Ryuta's single." Mu teased, noticing the lack of jewellery on his youngest's hand, the only one who wasn't attached in any shape or form.

"Ew! He's old enough to be my uncle Dad!" Ava pulled a face, looking completely disgusted, and Murrue snorted, leaning into the sink as she laughed, while Mu looked cheerfully proud of himself. "Gross, I'd never date Ryuta! He's like family!" She paused for a second and then added with a smirk, "He basically is family by law, Aunt Rin's married to Ryuta's uncle."

"Damn legality." Mu grumbled and that only earned a mirroring bell-chime giggle from both women. He tried not to smile, knowing that would only give him away and watched the two women laugh and talk at the sink. He was always surprised by how much Murrue and Ava were alike, not only in physical appearance but also in personality. Though she was always being told she was as reckless and brave as he was, he always disagreed. 'She's reckless and brave, true... But her mother was like that a long time ago too... She's cheerful, always bubbly always kind... Still much like a teenager even though she's an adult now. She's responsible despite looking carefree... Talking and walking before we were ready for her, adventurous to a fault... And she's a damn knockout.'

A knock at the door made them all turn around, and then it swung open followed by a cheery yell, "Hey you lot! The party's here!"

"Bry's here." Ava snickered, not even looking up from the dishes as her mother raced out to greet him. She continued to fix up the rest of what had been left in the sink, pausing when she felt a strong pair of arms around her shoulders. She laughed and turned around, seeing her brother. "Hey boy!"

"Hey sis." Bryan chuckled, tugging Ava into a warm hug that she was glad to return. He pulled away, regarding her slim form with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to vanish you're so thin Ava."

"Oh shut up you grizzly." Ava told him with a snicker, elbowing him in the side as she looked him up and down. He truly was his father's son, in both physical appearance and attitude, they were the exact same man except for eye colour. Bryan grew up tall and strong, resembling his father exactly, and his attitude had matured into the exact same as well. He nearly caused his sister to vanish when he hugged her tightly. "It's not my fault you're damn huge."

Bryan chortled, used to his sister's playful banter, she just loved to tease everybody, it was the way she was. He hugged her again, kissing her on the cheek before drawing away to watch her again, "Florida alright?"

"Everybody needs to stop asking me how Florida is." Ava rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, but she shrugged to answer his question. "How's Alaska been treating you? I bet the long nights away from your ladies really tick you off."

"Yeah... Not as much as it ticks Evelyn off, but you know how it is." Bryan replied with an idle shrug, using his wife's full name affectionately. "It gets hard being away from the folks for too long... I'm thinking about switching around."

"Well good for you, Mom would love it if you moved back into ORB." Ava told him cheerfully, inserted her arm into his as they began to walk back into the family room where the rest of the group was. Evelyn was sitting on the couch holding her little girl in her lap, laughing and cooing to the dark-haired girl. Her baby was a carbon copy of her, except with her father's brilliant emerald eyes. Her face lit up when she saw Ava and the two embraced carefully before sitting next to each other to talk happily.

"Well Evie looks happy, you've done well Bry." Mu snorted, tousling his son's golden blond hair roughly while watching the women talk and fuss over the baby. "Planning on getting her pregnant again to add on?"

"Dad." Bryan grumbled, rolling his eyes skyward before noticing how his wife looked so animated, laughing and joking around with his mother and sister. He smiled weakly and finally sighed contentedly and replied, "If she wants another one, I'd be happy to make it that way. Whatever she wants I'll give it to her."

"Good boy." Mu chuckled, affectionately tousling his hair again.

The door sounded again, and this time a woman's voice called, "anybody home?"

"And the boss is home!" Ava quipped, and Evelyn burst out laughing at the joke, and Murrue smiled broadly as she hopped to her feet to meet her middle child.

"Mom!" Paige cried out in delight, running froward to embrace her mother, laughing when she pulled away. She tucked a long lock of golden blond hair behind her ear, azure eyes twinkling in amazement at her mother's delight. "Hi!"

"Hey." Murrue hugged her again, before neatly stepping back as Mu took over and wrapped her up in a large bear hug. Laughing at Paige's subtle eyeroll when she was released, she let the two talk quickly before she followed her parents into the living room.

As soon as she entered the large living room, Ava and Bryan converged on her and both hugged the svelte blond tightly, and the siblings burst out laughing at a secret joke when they hugged. The three sat back down on their respective couches or chairs, and immediately began talking and laughing again.

"Alright, alright, one at a time!" Murrue called them to order, trying not to laugh when they all looked up expectantly at her. "Okay, we all have our news, we go one at a time. Youngest first this time!"

"Oh alright." Ava rolled her eyes again and waved her hands when everyone turned to look at her. She pursed her lips for a few moments, looking thoughtful as she wracked her mind for news. "Okay, here we go." She said abruptly after a long moment or two, sitting up straighter in her chair, which she was perched on like a cat. "So Florida has been great, everybody knows I was there doing research for my little project of mine for Morgenroete... Anyway, so now that the job's nearly done, I'll be coming home in three months or so to stay in ORB. I've rented an apartment, and secured a job with Ryuta, so looks like I'm here to stay this time."

A huge burst of chaos met her news, and Ava was swarmed immediately by her family who were eager to congratulate her. Ava laughed and half-heartedly fought them off but ended up hugging everyone and laughing as they pat her on the bach or on the head.

After the chaos settled, Paige was next, idly twirling her wedding rings around her finger before everyone turned to look at her. She grinned sweetly and then said cheerfully, "Well I'm still in ORB with Roger and after a few weeks of talking about it, we've decided we're going to move further into the city, closer to the school where I'm currently teaching/being head of at. And I've got an announcement to make on our behalf, because Roger's working... I've just found out I'm going to have a baby of my own."

If chaos had broken out, it was as if a nuclear bomb had gone off with all the noise that met Paige's ears, and the woman was mobbed by the family and she only laughed as she became the centre of attention. She was blushing a fair bit, waving off her brother who was still hugging her and the jokes Ava was quipping at a high speed.

They settled again, and this time Bryan sat with Evelyn, winding his arm around her small waist as he began to speak. "Well after awhile... We've decided Alaska hasn't worked out for us as much as we'd like to think it was going to... Evie?"

Evie smiled sheepishly, a faint blush staining her cheeks as she continued shyly, dark eyes twinkling, "We've decided that we're going to move back into ORB, Miss Lacus said that we could take their old cabin now that she and Kira have moved into their 'mansion' so to speak. So we'll be living in ORB in about three or four weeks."

The little family was mobbed, it seemed like good news was shooting out all around and everybody was completely content with this situation.

The news continued to fly around, nothing but good things coming out in the conversations, everybody's happiness easy to see. The daylight went too fast, and soon Paige had to go first, wishing everybody well and promising she'd see them all as soon as possible. Bryan and his wife left next, their little celeste tired from the outing and with a quick promise to be back quickly, they were gone as well.

Ava however hung around to help with the cleanup, which was already done by the time Paige had had to go. She had her bag with her, planning to stay a night or two before she would catch her flight back to Florida. Mu got a call from Kira and left to help out his friend, leaving the two brunettes alone for the beginnings of twilight.

"Something on your mind?" Murrue asked, looking over at Ava who was perched on her seat, staring out the window lost in thought. She looked over in polite surprise when she heard her mother's voice, and Murrue patiently repeated her question.

Ava shrugged, looking unsure as she turned her gaze back to her mother before sliding properly into the chair. She finally said tiredly, running a hand through her hair, "Florida... It's been really nice... A lot like home, always sunny, always by the beach... But y'know, while I was there... It just didn't feel like home."

"You didn't like it as much as you let on." Murrue finished for her daughter, eyebrows raising a tiny bit, looking certain that was what her youngest meant.

"Paige's settled down... Bryan, _Bryan,_ mom, settled down... And it's just me now." Ava mumbled weakly, running another hand through her now undone hair, marigold eyes troubled. "The odd one out is me."

"Don't worry about that, things will come to you in your own time you can't stress yourself out just because you haven't found the right guy or the right job." Murrue told her wisely, patting the cushion beside her in invitation. Ava hesitantly got up and moved beside her, and Murrue wound her arm around her youngest to tug her closer. "I wasn't sure I'd ever be settled. Living life as a soldier made stability pretty out of reach for me. But then I met your father."

Ava raised her eyebrows, not expecting this sort of story. "Then you got hitched had Bryan and us, and now you're happy."

"It's not that simple." Murrue scolded her, gently poking Ava in the nose for punishment for interrupting. "It really isn't that simple at all."

"You never made it sound complicated." Ava pointed out with a little smirk, and Murrue pursed her lips at that, knowing she was right and Ava grinned in triumph. "C'mon Mom, you never made it sound complicated, it all looked pretty simple from where I'm standing y'know."

"Well if that's the case, make yourself comfortable. Cause I have a story for you." Murrue told her in a matter of fact tone, settling down into her couch as she thought of a way to begin. "There's a big story here that you'll need to listen to."

"Uh huh." Ava settled down into a more comfy position, resting her head on her mother's shoulder, watching her intently. She had always been a fan of fairytales, of any sort of story really and she knew her mother knew that. "Okay then Mom. Shoot."

"You don't know what you're in for." Murrue laughed with the warning, settling down and looking up at the ceiling. "Alright..." She took a deep breath and began her story, and for a moment... She was back in time twenty years ago, holding her little girl in her arms as she told her favourite fairytale as she was setting her down to bed. And with a smile... She was content.

**AN**

**XD That so could have gone better but nyah, hahaha, I got it done and I'm perversely proud of myself And no one make a comment about Evie, it was the only name I had in my head for the moment. And yes she's happy XD Rights to the OCs (because I can) are mine, lol. And yeah, i recycle names, so what? Heheh. Lmao, so I'm done this one, (finally) and there will be more stories to follow as always. Thanks for reading, see you around soon! And a big special thanks to my sisses, couldn't have done it without you! **

**Sky **


End file.
